6.  .• 

a  A> 


[See  page  291 
"WE  WANT  YOU  ALL  TO  MAKE  YOURSELVES  AT  HOME,"  SAID  ALBERTA. 

"THIS  is  JUST  LIBERTY  HALL,  AND  THERE'S  NO  CEREMONY" 


LIBERTY    HALL 

A   STORY   FOR   GIRLS 

BY 

FLORENCE  HULL  WINTERBURN 

ILLUSTRATED 


HARPER  &  BROTHERS   PUBLISHERS 
NEW    YORK    &    LONDON 


The  Girls'  Library 

Illustrated — Jackets  Printed   in   Colon 


MAY  IVERSON — HER  BOOK.    By  Elizabeth  Jordan 
MAY  IVERSON  TACKLES  LIFE.     By  Elizabeth  Jordan 
MAY  IVERSON'S  CAREER.    By  Elizabeth  Jordan 
OAKLEICH.    By  Ellen  Douglas  Deland 
ALAN  RANSFORD.    By  Ellen  Douglas  Deland 
JOSEPHINE.    By  Ellen  Douglas  Deland 
IN  THE  OLD  HERRICK  HOUSE.    By  Ellen  Douglas  Deland 
A  LITTLE  SON  OF  SUNSHINE.    By  Ellen  Douglas  Deland 
Miss  BETTY  OF  NEW  YORK.     By  Ellen  Douglas  Deland 
LIBERTY  HALL.    By  Florence  Hull  Winterburn 
BETTY  BELL.    By  Fannie  Kilbourne 
REBECCA  MARY.    By  Annie  Hamilton  Donnell 


LIBERTY  HALL 


Copyright.  1916,  by  Harper  &  Brother* 
Printed  in  the  United  State*  of  America 

C-Z 


2228470 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"  WE  WANT  You  ALL  TO  MAKE  YOURSELVES  AT  HOME," 
SAID  ALBERTA.  "THIS  Is  JUST  LIBERTY  HALL, 
AND  THERE'S  No  CEREMONY" 

"I  Do  NOT  INTEND  TO  SELL  MY  FATHER'S  BOOKS.  I 

LOVE  THEM" Facintp.  4 

"ALBERTA  TAKES  CARE  OF  ME,"  PUT  IN  DOTTY  ...      "       154 

"GRACIOUS!  DON'T  LOOK  AT  Us.  WE  HAD  TO  BOR- 
ROW THINGS,  AND  NOTHING  FITS"  "  246 


LIBERTY    HALL 


LIBERTY    HALL 


CHAPTER  I 

ONE  pleasant  September  afternoon  a  rusty 
vehicle  known  to  the  little  town  of  Elm- 
ville,  in  Kentucky's  Blue  Grass  region,  as  "the 
hack"  drew  up  before  the  station,  received  in 
its  depths  two  passengers,  and  crept  at  its  usual 
snail's  pace  along  the  principal  street.  A  huge 
trunk  had  been  hoisted  beside  the  driver,  caus- 
ing much  anxiety  to  that  personage  by  its  per- 
sistent toppling.  The  trunk  was  also  a  source 
of  anxiety  to  its  owner,  a  dark-eyed  girl  who 
often  poked  her  head  out  of  the  window  to  see 
whether  it  still  kept  its  place. 

Passing  a  group  of  young  people  who  were 
playing  tennis  on  the  Beacham  court,  and  who 
interrupted  their  game  to  glance  curiously  at 
the  strangers,  the  vehicle  stopped  at  a  big, 
rambling  house  set  far  back  from  the  street,  and 
the  driver,  descending,  opened  the  rickety  door 
with  a  flourish. 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Out  stepped  a  slim  young  girl  and  a  pretty 
blond  child,  the  latter  holding  in  her  arms  a 
brass-faced  doll  from  which  the  paint  had  worn 
off  in  streaks  so  that  it  now  looked  rather  like 
an  abused  Chinese  idol.  But  there  was  no  one 
to  suggest  this  to  Dotty  Lewis,  and  she  loved 
the  doll  as  much  as  if  it  had  come  fresh  from  a 
Paris  toy-shop. 

"Here  we  are,  darling,"  said  the  elder  girl, 
cheerfully.  "How  glad  I  am  to  be  off  that  old 
train  at  last!  Aren't  you?" 

"It's  all  very  ugly,"  whispered  the  small  girl, 
gazing  around  the  big  yard,  which  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  dilapidated  fence.  Its  ugliness  was 
partly  concealed  by  climbing  masses  of  clem- 
atis, but  everywhere  neglected  flowers  struggled 
with  encroaching  weeds.  As  they  stood  still  a 
flock  of  chickens  came  around  the  house,  fol- 
lowed by  a  tall  figure  to  whom  the  driver  took 
off  his  hat,  saying  in  an  undertone:  "Thar's  the 
lady,  miss.  That's  Mrs.  Knight  herself." 

Mrs.  Knight's  appearance  was  not  one  to 
charm  at  first  sight.  She  was  angular  of  figure 
and  severe  of  visage,  and  she  had  cold,  gray 
eyes,  and  a  tight  mouth  that  did  not  favor 
smiles.  She  was  clothed  in  a  short,  loose  gown 
of  lavender-hued  calico,  oil-cloth  slippers,  and  a 
long,  black  apron.  One  associates  a  white  apron 


LIBERTY    HALL 

with  pleasant  housekeeping,  with  hospitality 
and  comfort ;  but  a  black  apron  suggests  a  kind 
of  work  that  should  not  be  interrupted.  This 
reflection  struck  the  two  girls,  but  without  giv- 
ing herself  time  to  feel  dismayed  the  elder 
advanced,  saying: 

"How  do  you  do,  aunt?  I  am  Alberta,  and 
this  is  Dotty." 

"So  you've  come.  Well,  come  in."  As  Al- 
berta hesitated,  her  aunt  added,  tartly:  "You 
can  come  around  to  the  back.  'Tain't  con- 
venient to  open  the  front  door." 

The  driver  now  put  in  his  word.  "What 
about  thisyere  trunk?"  he  demanded.  "It's 
too  heavy  to  be  toted." 

"Stars!"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Knight,  shortly.  "If 
it's  got  to  be,  it's  got  to  be,  that's  all.  Put  it 
down  on  the  ground.  I'll  warrant  we'll  all  pull 
together  and  get  it  in,  somehow." 

The  driver  obeyed,  rolling  up  his  eyes,  and 
the  big  trunk  was  landed,  then  hauled  to  the 
porch  steps.  There  the  driver  protested.  "Whar 
dat  ole  woman,  Mrs.  Knight?  'Tain't  fitten  for 
you  ladies  to  wear  out  yo'selves  thisyere  way. 
Whar's  Marthy?" 

"Martha  is  only  here  once  a  week  to  wash  and 
clean,"  answered  Mrs.  Knight,  dryly.  "I  don't 
keep  servants  to  idle  about.  It's  mighty  incon- 

3 


LIBERTY    HALL 

venient — this  heavy  trunk.  If  it's  full  of  clothes, 
child,  you  must  have  enough  to  last  you  quite 
awhile." 

Alberta  Lewis  laughed — a  brave  laugh,  for 
she  felt  more  like  crying.  "There  are  not  very 
many  clothes  in  it,  aunt;  it  is  half  full  of  books." 

"Books!"  cried  Mrs.  Knight,  with  a  scandal- 
ized  expression.  "Of  all  things — books!  Why 
didn't  you  sell  'em  out  there  in  Kansas?  They 
won't  bring  anything  here." 

"I  do  not  intend  to  sell  my  father's  books," 
said  Alberta,  with  some  heat.  "I  love  them." 

Dotty  slid  up  and  took  her  sister's  hand. 
Alberta  felt  the  child's  fingers  tremble,  and 
calmed  herself. 

"Unpack  it  right  here,  miss?"  interposed  the 
driver.  "It  '11  be  a  heap  easier.  I  can't  tote  it 
up  them  steps,  no  way." 

"It's  as  safe  here  as  anywhere,"  pronounced 
Mrs.  Knight.  She  had  lost  all  interest  in  the 
trunk  and  began  to  rub  her  wrist  as  if  she  had 
strained  it. 

"We  can  get  along  with  our  bag  to-night. 
But — would  you  be  so  kind  as  to  let  me  have  a 
piece  of  old  oil-cloth,  aunt,  to  cover  the  trunk 
in  case  it  should  rain?" 

"It  ain't  going  to  rain,  and  I  haven't  got  any 
oil-cloth." 

4 


"l    DO    NOT    INTEND    TO    SELL    MY    FATHER'S    BOOKS.      I    LOVE    THEM" 


LIBERTY   HALL 

Alberta  sighed  and  gave  up  the  point.  Had 
her  father  had  any  idea  of  what  his  half-sister 
was  like,  she  wondered,  when  he  had  told  her  to 
bring  Dotty  to  Elmville  when  he  had  passed 
away?  But  she  wisely  made  up  her  mind  not  to 
waste  her  strength  in  little  disputes.  Evidently 
there  were  trials  ahead.  It  would  be  better  to 
save  her  energy. 

"Very  well,  aunt,  just  as  you  say,"  she  an- 
swered, turning  toward  the  porch  and  picking  up 
her  umbrella  and  a  worn  grip. 

The  driver,  known  as  "old  Henry,"  took  off 
his  hat  and  scratched  his  head.  "Which  one  o' 
you  ladies  settles  for  the  kerridge?" 

He  looked  from  one  to  the  other.  Mrs. 
Knight  gave  a  sidelong  glance  at  her  niece,  her 
hand  going  reluctantly  into  her  pocket.  Alberta 
colored,  and  with  a  hasty  movement  took  out  a 
little  purse  in  which  some  coins  kept  a  dollar  bill 
company. 

"How  much?"  she  demanded,  her  head  in  the 
air. 

"  It's  wuth  a  dollar  and  a  quarter,  but  to  you, 
miss,  I'll  say  a  dollar."  Clearly  old  Henry  was 
not  without  sentiment,  and  his  little  old  eyes 
saw  far  ahead.  As  the  girl  put  her  bill  into  his 
hand  he  bowed  in  a  way  he  reserved  for  "the 
quality." 

5 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Don'  you  hurt  yo'self  tuggin'  and  twistin' 
now,  for  all  the  lady  thar  says,"  he  uttered,  under 
his  breath.  "Laws!  she  ain't  po'  now !  Listen 
to  what  ole  Henry  tells  you,  miss — just  you  tie 
to  that  ole  black  woman,  Martha.  She's  a 
pusson  to  tie  to — an'  she  loved  yo'  grandma. 
Wish  you  luck,  miss,"  he  added,  aloud. 

"Good-by,"  said  Alberta  and  Dotty  together, 
and  they  watched  the  hack  out  of  sight,  feeling 
that  it  contained  a  friend.  Then  they  entered  the 
house  and  joined  their  aunt  in  her  sitting-room. 

It  was  a  mixture  of  dining-room  and  work- 
room, the  principal  pieces  of  furniture  being  a 
tall  bureau,  a  sewing-machine,  a  low,  broad 
lounge  covered  with  sewing,  and  a  square,  "fall- 
leaf  "  table  whose  red  cloth  folded  back  to  allow 
room  for  a  work-basket  and  pincushion.  The 
sight  of  a  bright  fire  and  a  nice  supper  would 
have  been  agreeable  to  tired  and  hungry  trav- 
elers; but  Alberta  Lewis  was  in  the  habit  of 
making  the  best  of  things.  She  sat  down  on 
the  end  of  the  lounge,  took  Dotty  in  her  lap,  and 
looked  brightly  at  her  aunt,  waiting  for  the 
next  thing,  whatever  it  might  be. 

Mrs.  Knight  seated  herself  in  her  accustomed 
chair,  took  off  her  spectacles,  wiped  them  care- 
fully on  a  corner  of  her  apron,  put  them  on 
again,  and  cleared  her  throat  twice. 

6 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"You've  had  a  long  journey,"  she  said, 
finally. 

To  this  self-evident  fact — the  two  girls  had 
come  from  Topeka,  Kansas,  to  the  eastern  part 
of  Kentucky — Alberta  responded,  "Yes,  aunt." 
Then,  in  a  whisper,  she  added,  "There,  my  pet, 
you  shall  have  something  to  eat  soon." 

Mrs.  Knight  could  not  ignore  the  speech. 
With  a  sigh  she  arose  and,  removing  the  basket 
and  the  pincushion,  spread  a  cloth  over  the 
table.  This  was  encouraging,  and  Dotty  bright- 
ened. Making  a  trip  to  the  unknown  region  in 
the  rear,  their  aunt  returned  to  announce  that 
the  kettle  was  "on  the  boil." 

"Maybe  you'd  like  an  egg,"  she  added, 
doubtfully. 

"Anything  that  is  convenient,  thank  you," 
murmured  Alberta,  who,  having  heard  much  of 
Kentucky  hospitality,  had  been  seeing  visions  of 
fried  chicken  and  preserves  with  cream,  during 
a  fasting  afternoon. 

"An  egg  is  as  convenient  as  anything,"  mut- 
tered Mrs.  Knight,  taking  two  from  her  cup- 
board and  regarding  them  affectionately.  She 
started  for  the  rear  door  again,  and  Alberta  be- 
gan to  make  secret  calculations  of  the  time  it 
takes  to  boil  eggs. 

Suddenly  a  brown  face  appeared  from  the  door 


LIBERTY    HALL 

and  a  pleasant  voice  said,  "Howdy,  missies." 
Then,  coming  in,  the  owner  of  it  addressed  Mrs. 
Knight.  "Sense  me,  ma'am,"  she  said,  "but  I 
knowed  you  was  havin'  company  and  I  just 
dropped  in  to  see  if  I  could  be  of  any  use.  Laws ! 
what  a  pretty  child!  Come  here,  honey,  and  see 
old  Marthy!  Gimme  dem  eggs,  Mrs.  Knight, 
and  I'll  finish  supper  whilst  you  talk  to  the 
young  lady.  Kin  the  little  girl  go  out  with  me, 
miss?"  with  a  bob  of  the  head  to  Alberta,  who 
was  glad  to  assent  to  anything  likely  to  increase 
Dotty's  comfort.  The  two  trotted  off  together 
into  the  mysterious  rear  region,  from  whence, 
to  Alberta's  gratification,  an  odor  of  something 
frying  almost  immediately  made  its  way  back. 

"That  colored  woman  was  a  servant  of  your 
grandmother.  Now  she  lives  in  a  shanty  in  the 
road  back  of  me,  and  sometimes  comes  in  to 
help  me  a  little,"  remarked  Mrs.  Knight,  with 
the  air  of  one  who  explains  away  a  false  idea  of 
luxury.  "  I  make  my  living  by  doing  tailoring," 
she  went  on,  now  embarked  in  the  full  flow  of 
acrid  confidences. 

"My  father  told  me  that  you  own  the  house 
— that  is—  '  suggested  Alberta,  after  it  had 
continued  for  a  time. 

"Yes,  I  own  the  house,"  and  her  aunt's  eyes 
snapped,  as  if  to  defy  any  one  to  disprove  it. 

8 


LIBERTY    HALL 

She  and  her  niece  regarded  each  other  and  the 
girl  dropped  her  eyes  with  a  weary  little  sigh. 
"But  a  house  don't  grow  vittals  and  clothes  and 
get  fuel,  does  it?  All  the  income  I  have  comes 
from  this  here  goose,"  laying  her  hand  on  a 
wooden  model  on  the  table,  "and  from  the 
fowls.  Do  you  know  anything  about  chickens?" 
she  asked,  suddenly. 

Before  Alberta  could  admit  her  ignorance 
Martha  came  in  with  a  dish  of  ham  and  eggs  in 
one  hand  and  a  pot  of  tea  in  the  other,  Dotty 
accompanying  her  with  a  plate  of  hot  biscuits, 
her  face  broad  with  smiles.  The  colored  woman 
had  heard  Mrs.  Knight's  closing  words,  for  she 
gave  the  girl  a  significant  smile,  as  if  to  suggest 
that  her  aunt  had  already  mounted  her  hobby. 

"Supper's  ready,  ladies,  and  I  spec's  you-all's 
'bout  starved.  I  must  cl'ar  out  now,  but  I'll 
look  in  on  you-all  to-morrow — if  the  good  Lord 
spares  me.  Good  night,  little  Dotty  and  Miss 
Alberta.  Laws!  but  I  remembers  yo'  pa  like's 
if  'twas  only  yesterday  he  parted  from  us  here 
to  go  to  the  North!  I  hopes  you'll  like  old 
Elmville,  when  you  get  acquainted — I  certainly 
does." 

Mrs.  Knight  repeated  her  question  about  the 
chickens. 

"I  like  them,"  responded  Alberta,  with  tact. 

9 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"That's  a  beautiful  rooster  of  yours,  aunt.  He 
is  almost  as  tall  as  Dotty." 

"That's  Captain  Jinks.  He's  the  smartest 
fellow  I  ever  had;  he  can  do  about  everything 
but  talk.  It's  time  I  fed  the  chickens,  so  if 
you'll  just  eat  without  me,  I'll  go  and  'tend  to 
them.  I'll  be  in  soon,  but  if  you  want  to  put 
the  child  to  bed  you  won't  have  any  trouble 
finding  the  room.  It's  right  at  the  head  of  the 
stairs,"  and  Mrs.  Knight  went  to  the  yard  and 
began  to  call  "Chick,  chick,"  in  tones  warm 
with  affection. 

Alberta  could  see  her  through  the  window, 
scattering  grain  with  a  careful  hand,  while  the 
greedy  biddies  ate  and  scolded.  She  was  inter- 
ested in  finding  out  what  sort  of  room  had  been 
given  to  herself  and  Dotty,  and  as  soon  as  the 
little  one  had  satisfied  her  hunger  she  led  her 
up  the  stairway  to  the  landing  where  two  doors 
stood  open.  The  presence  of  a  row  of  old  shoes 
and  a  purple  gown  hanging  above  them  told 
her  that  the  first  room  was  her  aunt's.  It  was 
rigidly  free  from  the  many  trifles  that  usually 
litter  a  woman's  chamber,  and  Alberta  was  es- 
pecially puzzled  by  a  sense  of  something  lacking 
until  she  discovered  that  there  was  no  looking- 
glass  over  the  ancient  bureau. 

"I  certainly  hope  there  is  one  in  our  room," 

10 


LIBERTY    HALL 

she  murmured,  turning  eagerly  toward  the  other 
door.  This  front  room,  like  the  back  one,  was 
square  and  of  good  size,  but  very  scantily  fur- 
nished. There  was  a  double  bed,  covered  with 
a  red  cotton  comforter,  two  chairs,  and  a  large 
black  bureau  with  a  little  mirror  leaning  on  the 
top,  but  so  high  that  only  a  very  tall  person 
could  reach  it.  Alberta  stretched  herself,  glad 
that  she  was  every  bit  of  five  feet  four,  and 
caught  a  dim  glimpse  of  a  sober  face  which 
did  not  look  natural. 

"Do  you  like  it,  sister?"  asked  Dotty,  curi- 
ously, gazing  about  with  disfavor.  The  sisters 
had  been  used  to  all  the  comforts  of  life  and  to 
many  of  its  luxuries. 

Alberta's  shoulder  went  up  as  she  surveyed  the 
bare  floor  and  curtainless  windows. 

"I  don't  exactly  love  it,  Dotty,  but  it  will 
look  nicer  when  we  get  out  our  own  things  and 
lay  them  about.  I  am  glad  I  brought  all  the 
books  and  pictures,  anyway.  And  when  the 
furniture  at  home  is  sold,  and  Mrs.  Eames 
sends  us  the  money  as  she  promised,  I'll  buy 
some  things.  That  fireplace  is  nice.  In  the 
winter  we'll  have  a  fire,  if  I  have  to  go  out  into 
the  country  and  pick  up  dry  wood  to  make  it." 

This  seemed  an  amusing  notion  to  Dotty,  and 
all  the  time  she  was  undressing  she  talked  of 


LIBERTY    HALL 

how  they  would  gather  a  great  pile  of  wood, 
enough  to  last  all  winter,  and  store  it  in  the 
room  over  the  kitchen. 

"Such  a  funny  room,  sister.  Martha  took 
me  up  there,  on  a  yadder" — almost  the  only 
baby  trick  of  speech  Dotty  had  was  the  occa- 
sional use  of  y  for  1 — "and  showed  it  to  me. 
Aunt  never  goes  up  there,  because  once  she  hurt 
her  foot  on  the  yadder.  And  Martha  says  I 
may  play  there  all  I  like." 

Alberta  listened  absently,  not  anticipating 
how  useful  that  room  was  to  become  in  the 
future. 

It  was  now  dark  and  Dotty  fell  asleep  almost 
as  soon  as  her  head  touched  the  pillow.  Her 
sister  went  to  the  window  and  looked  out  on 
the  dimly  lit  street,  with  its  houses  inclosed  in 
fenced-in  grounds.  It  was  all  very  different 
from  what  she  was  used  to  in  Kansas.  Her  gaze 
fastened  rather  hungrily  on  the  big,  white  house 
across  the  street,  glowing  with  many  lights.  It 
was  a  square,  pillared  house,  and  had  a  home- 
like look.  Who  lived  there,  she  wondered,  and 
would  she  come  to  know  the  people  and  to  like 
them? 

It  was  lonely  and  depressing,  but  she  could 
not  make  up  her  mind  to  go  back  to  the  sitting- 
room  again  and  talk  to  her  aunt.  Instead,  she 

12 


LIBERTY    HALL 

spent  the  next  two  hours  at  the  window,  think- 
ing. A  new  life  had  begun  for  her,  and  its 
promise  was  surely  not  a  cheerful  one.  She 
would  have  need  of  all  her  courage,  she  realized, 
to  face  the  trials  that  were  to  beset  her  path. 


CHAPTER  II 

ELMVILLE  ACADEMY  received  Alberta 
Lewis  and  Dorothy,  her  small  sister,  as 
pupils  the  following  week.  When  the  roll  was 
called  Monday  morning  fifty  pairs  of  eyes 
turned  on  the  Western  girls,  and  that  curious 
sound  which  is  not  exactly  a  whisper,  but  some 
sort  of  inarticulate  comment  that  is  quite  as 
comprehensible  as  words,  went  all  through  the 
great  room  where  the  pupils  had  assembled  for 
the  opening  exercises. 

Dotty  took  it  with  sweet  unconsciousness. 
She  was  wearing  her  little  white  sailor  dress, 
with  a  black  ribbon  in  her  hair,  and  she  felt  ex- 
citedly happy  in  this  new  experience  of  school. 
Already  she  had  responded  to  the  pleasant  smile 
of  her  teacher  by  a  dimpling,  admiring  gaze,  and 
was  distributing  among  her  new  companions, 
the  little  girls  seated  in  the  front  row,  that  look 
of  confidence  and  approachableness  which  is  the 
immediate  passport  to  liking.  There  was  no 
doubt  that  Dotty  was  to  be  liked. 

But  there  was  more  than  a  doubt  about 

u 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Alberta.  In  the  first  place,  she  was  "different." 
She  was  not  dressed  as  Southern  girls  dress; 
there  was  no  particular  daintiness  or  coquetry 
about  her ;  her  hair  was  not  arranged  to  the  best 
advantage,  but  was  simply  put  up  at  the  back 
of  her  head  in  a  great  braid,  displaying  rather 
too  much  of  a  somewhat  high  forehead  and 
throwing  into  relief  features  that  were  irregu- 
larly strong.  The  mouth  had  a  firmness  that 
suggested  possibilities  of  trouble  for  tormentors. 
The  effect  of  the  strong  chin  was  softened  ,by  a 
pair  of  very  sweet  dark  eyes.  But  nobody  took 
the  responsibility  of  making  up  her  mind  about 
the  new  girl  until  Hannah  Beacham  had  given 
a  hint  as  to  her  impressions. 

There  is  always  one  social  autocrat  in  a  girls' 
school;  and  she  is  not  always  the  girl  who  is 
most  popular.  The  particular  qualities  that  fit 
a  girl  for  this  position  are  hard  to  specify;  but 
whatever  they  were,  Hannah  had  them.  Her 
elder  sister,  Minnie,  sweet  and  gentle,  at  the 
head  of  the  Senior  class  and  its  probable  val- 
edictorian, was  a  universal  favorite:  but  if  she 
had  not  naturally  deferred  to  Hannah  and 
stanchly  upheld  her  in  everything,  there  must 
have  been  a  split  in  the  school,  for  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  girls,  what  Hannah  said  "went." 

So  there  was  a  thrill  of  expectancy  when  the 

15 


LIBERTY    HALL 

recess-bell  sounded,  and  Hannah  was  aware  that 
her  action  was  watched  by  all  her  associates 
when,  with  much  deliberation,  she  walked  to  the 
bench  where  Alberta  was  seated  and  cordially 
held  out  her  hand. 

In  two  minutes  they  were  laughing  and  talking 
together  with  that  instinctive  familiarity  which 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  really  natural  friend- 
ship. They  were  instantly  "drawn  together" 
by  the  magnetism  which  is  so  much  stronger 
than  superficial  attractions  founded  on  known 
advantages.  It  made  not  the  least  difference  to 
Hannah,  as  she  met  the  frank  glance  of  Alberta's 
soft,  dark  eyes — her  prettiest  feature — that  her 
black  dress  was  rather  worn  and  out  of  style, 
that  she  wore  neither  ring  nor  watch,  and  that 
she  looked  as  if  she  would  probably  demand 
quite  as  much  respect  from  an  associate  as  she 
gave,  even  though  she  was  the  niece  of  the 
village  tailor  ess. 

"Well,  girls,  apparently  Hannah  thinks  her  a 
peach,  so  we  must  take  her  in,"  said  a  frivolous 
classmate,  sauntering  toward  the  pair  with  a 
smile.  Others  followed,  but  it  was  noticeable 
that  the  best-dressed  girl  in  the  room,  a  piquant 
blonde  with  "frizzy"  hair  and  sparkling  hazel 
eyes,  not  only  remained  aloof,  but  compelled  her 
fag,  a  meek  cousin  named  Carrie  Elton,  to  re- 

16 


LIBERTY    HALL 

main  also  on  the  side  of  the  room  most  remote 
from  the  gay  group  now  surrounding  the  new 
pupil. 

"I  suppose  you're  going  in  for  the  fun,"  said 
a  lazy-looking  girl  in  a  yellow  chiffon  waist  and 
a  too-elaborate  gray  silk  skirt.  "Hannah  has 
the  best  tennis-court,  and  we  all  toady  to  her 
so  as  to  get  asked  over,  don't  we,  dear?" 

"  Oh,  this  old  town  wouldn't  be  much  without 
the  Beacham  tennis-court,"  drawled  another. 
"I  reckon  you'll  find  it  dull,  Miss  Lewis.  I've 
an  idea  the  West  is  a  sort  of  rattling  place." 
She  spoke  as  if  the  section  of  the  country  al- 
luded to  was  another  region  similar  in  proportion 
to  Kentucky. 

"I  suppose  some  parts  of  the  West  are  livelier 
than  others,"  said  Alberta.  "San  Francisco,  for 
instance.  But  I've  never  been  so  far.  I've 
passed  my  life  in  Kansas,  and  you  know  real 
Westerners  hardly  call  that  the  West  now." 

"Sets  us  right,"  murmured  a  girl  in  the  rear 
of  the  group.  "Rather  conceited,  I  think." 

Thus  quickly  a  prejudice  sets  in.  Half  an 
hour  had  not  passed  before  there  was  a  general 
idea  that  the  new  girl  was  conceited;  that  she 
wasn't  going  to  be  good  fun;  also,  that  she 
hadn't  anything  to  be  set  up  about,  her  father 
alone  having  come  of  a  family  that  was  well 

17 


LIBERTY    HALL 

known.  Everybody  suddenly  remembered  that 
her  aunt  was  considered  a  freak — barely  toler- 
ated, not  liked. 

"Sorry  for  her,"  said  a  kindly  disposed  girl. 
"Did  you  see  the  way  Gladys  looked  at  her?" 

"But  did  you  see  the  way  Professor  Wilson 
praised  her  for  her  bright  answers?"  retorted 
another.  "Said  she  was  his  little  Dictionary. 
I'm  going  to  call  her  Miss  Dictionary." 

"It's  all  right!  Say,  girls,  the  new  one  is 
baptized.  She's  Miss  Dictionary,  do  you  hear?" 
Even  Hannah  smiled  indulgently  when  the  news 
was  whispered  to  her.  Every  girl  had  some  sort 
of  sobriquet ;  the  one  chosen  for  Alberta  seemed 
to  her  not  inappropriate. 

"I've  promised  to  put  up  her  name  for  the 
club,"  she  told  Minnie,  on  the  way  home.  "I 
know  she  has  plenty  of  bright  ideas,  and  we 
need  them,  for  we  are  growing  narrow.  There's 
been  '  nothing  doing '  in  the  Young  Folks'  for  a 
long  time." 

"Don't  you  think  you  were  rather  previous  to 
tell  her  you  would  put  her  up  so  soon?"  mildly 
expostulated  the  elder.  "I'm  afraid  Gladys  has 
taken  a  dislike  to  her.  You  know  what  it  would 
mean  if  Gladys  really  has!" 

"I  guess  we  can  keep  Gladys  down,  all  right, 
among  us,"  said  Hannah,  in  a  provoked  tone. 

18 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"It's  something  we  never  have  done,  and  you 
know  it,  honey.  There's  Roy,  across  the  street. 
Going  in  our  gate,  too.  We're  late  getting 
home,  I  reckon." 

"  I  stopped  to  tell  Alberta  about  the  club. 
Really,  Min,  I  think  that  girl  is  to  be  pitied — • 
having  to  live  in  a  dreary  old  house  with  such  a 
guardian  as  Mrs.  Knight.  I  wonder  how  she 
got  the  old  thing  to  consent  to  her  going  to  the 
Academy.  Perhaps  she  has  some  money  of  her 
own." 

"Hurry,  Hannah,  do,  or  we'll  not  have  time 
for  our  game,  and  Roy  is  waving  to  us." 

"Roy — where?"  Instantly  Hannah  forgot 
everything  else.  And  although  she  mentioned 
her  new  friend  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  her 
mind  was  occupied  with  other  things  from  the 
time  she  set  her  great  eyes  on  the  one  special, 
particular  favorite  among  all  her  friends  and 
comrades,  represented  by  that  very  attractive 
young  person,  Roy  Dezevolos. 

It  was  not  because  she  had  any  private  re- 
sources that  Alberta  had  carried  with  her  aunt 
the  point  of  at  least  one  year — she  hoped  for 
two — at  the  excellent  Elmville  Academy.  It 
was  because,  when  she  believed  in  the  justice  of 
her  cause,  she  had  a  will  of  her  own.  She  had 
argued  it  out  for  two  days,  while  Mrs.  Knight 

19 


LIBERTY    HALL 

had  insisted  that  tailoring,  even  in  its  finest  de- 
tails, might  dispense  with  the  aid  of  Latin  and 
the  higher  mathematics. 

Alberta  had  an  invincible  objection  to  tailor- 
ing. She  said  that  her  father,  in  advising  her 
to  go  to  the  old  home  in  Kentucky,  had  empha- 
sized the  advantage  of  attending  the  Academy. 
He  had  fully  meant  that  she  should  have  an  ed- 
ucation. How,  without  one,  was  she  to  make  a 
living  for  herself  and  Dotty? 

Alberta's  wishes  had  to  be  considered,  for  the 
Elmville  property,  over  which  Mr.  Lewis's  wid- 
owed half-sister  had  long  exercised  undisputed 
control,  really  belonged  to  him,  and  his  claim 
now  descended  to  his  daughters,  who  were  his 
natural  heirs.  But  possession  had  so  long  been 
in  the  hands  of  Mrs.  Knight  that  she  had  come 
to  believe  in  her  own  rights.  Mr.  Lewis  had 
died  suddenly,  without  appointing  a  guardian 
for  his  children,  and  with  the  easy  trust  in  the 
good-will  of  others  which  had  always  distin- 
guished him  he  had  merely  told  Alberta  that 
she  had  better  "go  to  the  old  home"  when  he 
was  gone.  When  matters  were  settled  up  there 
had  remained  little  more  than  enough  cash  to 
pay  the  traveling  expenses  to  Kentucky,  besides 
the  furniture  of  the  Topeka  house,  which  was  to 
be  sold  after  they  had  left.  So  Alberta  found 

20 


LIBERTY    HALL 

herself  exceedingly  straitened;  but  she  de- 
pended on  getting,  before  long,  the  money  re- 
alized from  the  sale  of  the  furniture;  and,  know- 
ing that  she  and  Dotty  were  entitled  to  live  in 
the  Elmville  house,  that,  in  fact,  it  belonged  to 
them,  she  felt  that  Mrs.  Knight  might  have  been 
more  conciliatory. 

There  was  another  possibility  about  which  she 
had  only  a  vague  knowledge.  Her  father  had 
alluded  to  it  as  a  probable  resource,  but  without 
giving  her  definite  information,  further  than  to 
muse  that  "the  meadow  lot  must  be  valuable 
by  this  time,  and  that  if  '  they-all '  sold  it,  there 
would  be  plenty  for  everybody.  You  see, 
honey,"  he  had  added,  "I  always  meant  to  go 
back  and  see  about  all  these  matters.  But 
somehow,  with  the  grind  of  the  business  here  and 
taking  some  kind  of  care  of  you  kiddies,  I've  let 
things  go  at  loose  ends.  You  have  a  shiftless 
father,  daughter."  And  then  Alberta,  her  arms 
about  his  neck,  had  protested  that  he  had  been 
the  best  father  in  the  world,  and  that  it  didn't 
make  any  difference  about  the  money ;  it  would 
all  come  out  right.  He  was  going  to  get  well. 

But  by  chance  her  father's  words  occurred  to 
her  when  Mrs.  Knight  asserted  emphatically 
that  there  was  "no  money  to  pay  for  such  an 
amount  o'  schoolin',"  and  that  "Hiram  Lewis 

21 


LIBERTY    HALL 

left  things  in  too  poor  shape"  for  his  girls  to  ex- 
pect more  than  "vittals  and  a  roof"  from  her. 

"What  about  the  meadow  lot?"  Alberta  had 
asked,  vaguely  but  hopefully. 

"What  air  you  talking  about?"  Mrs.  Knight 
retorted,  and  her  sharp  eyes  opened  in  a  startled 
way.  "All  the  land  there  is  ain't  wuth  much 
more  'n  a  bare  livin'  even  if  it  was  rightly  worked, 
which  I  can't  afford,"  she  added,  more  mildly. 
"  But  if  you  air  set  on  idling  away  your  time  for 
a  whole  year  I  ain't  goin*  to  exhaust  myself 
arguing  against  you.  Go  to  the  Academy  if  you 
want,  and  much  good  may  it  do  you-all!  I 
reckon  a  hundred  dollars  will  cover  the  expense, 
and  you'll  get  in  that  much  from  your  furniture. 
You  told  me  some  friend  of  yours  was  going  to 
sell  it,  didn't  you?" 

So  that  was  settled.  But  when  Alberta  re- 
flected on  things  she  was  sorry  that  she  had 
said  anything  about  the  furniture.  She  re- 
membered the  cunning  expression  of  the  old  col- 
ored man  when  he  had  whispered  that  Mrs. 
Knight  wasn't  poor.  At  least,  she  and  Dotty 
were  entitled  to  what  the  children  of  educated 
people  should  have — a  good  education. 

"Going  in  for  the  fun!"  she  repeated  to  her- 
self,  as  she  and  Dotty  made  their  way  home- 
ward at  the  end  of  the  day.  "I  would  like  to 

22 


LIBERTY    HALL 

join  that  club  Hannah  Beacham  spoke  about. 
To  think  of  her  living  in  the  big  white  house  I 
was  star-gazing  at  all  last  evening,  wondering  if 
I  should  get  to  know  the  people  in  it." 

"Sister,  let's  unpack  the  rest  of  the  trunk," 
Dotty  begged,  when  they  had  gone  up  to  their 
room  and  Alberta  had  seated  herself  to  study. 

"Why,  yes,  deary,  we'll  do  it  right  away; 
come  and  help,"  said  the  older  sister,  kindly. 

She  opened  the  tray  and,  peeping  in,  set  it 
aside,  to  take  up  later  on.  She  was  eager  for  a 
sight  of  her  books,  and  was  comparatively  in- 
different to  the  rest  of  the  trunk's  contents. 
The  trunk  stood  on  the  back  porch,  and  it  was 
necessary  to  carry  up  its  contents  little  by 
little.  Dotty  began  to  trail  skirts  and  other 
wearing  apparel  up  the  stairs  and  to  throw 
them  in  a  miscellaneous  heap  on  the  bed. 
Presently  they  became  aware  of  a  little  woolly 
head  peeping  over  the  back  fence,  and  a  pair  of 
beady  black  eyes  staring  at  them  and  their 
interesting  occupation. 

"What's  that?"  whispered  Dotty,  to  whom 
the  image  recalled  the  monkeys  she  had  seen  in 
the  Zoo. 

"I's  yo'  neighbor,"  called  out  the  little  black 
girl.  "My  name's  Clarissa  Evelyn  Smith,"  and 
she  shot  away  like  a  rocket  as  Mrs.  Knight 

3  23 


LIBERTY    HALL 

jerked  open  the  window  and  directed  her  eye- 
glasses at  the  fence. 

"You'd  better  look  out  that  that  young  one 
don't  steal  some  of  your  things,"  she  warned  her 
nieces.  "She's  a  regular  little  limb  of  Satan." 

"What's  a  limb  of  Satan?"  asked  Dotty, 
greatly  attracted  by  the  new  phrase. 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Alberta,  wise  enough 
not  to  attempt  any  explanation.  In  a  whisper 
Dotty  practised  it,  thinking  it  might  some  day 
be  useful.  Dotty  had  the  face  of  an  angel,  with 
her  vivid  blue  eyes  and  golden  hair,  but  she 
did  not  have  a  tip-tilted  little  nose  for  nothing, 
and  the  dimple  that  came  and  went  on  her  left 
cheek  meant  a  sort  of  adaptability  that  sug- 
gested care  in  the  selection  of  her  associates. 

"Aunt,  may  I  have  a  few  nails  and  a  ham- 
mer?" requested  Alberta,  adding,  politely, 
"don't  trouble  to  get  up;  just  say  where  they 
are  and  I'll  get  them." 

"What  do  you  want  of  nails?  There's  a  row 
of  hooks  in  your  closet." 

"Oh,  there  are  hooks  enough.  I  just  want  to 
nail  a  piece  of  board  at  each  end  of  the  mantel- 
shelf, so  it  will  hold  my  books,"  answered  Al- 
berta, to  whom  the  absence  of  a  bookcase  had 
appeared  the  worst  affliction  of  her  new  en- 
vironment. 

24 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"I  believe  the  girl  thinks  of  nothing  but 
books,"  groaned  the  widow.  "And  that  child 
with  a  hole  as  big  as  a  potato  in  her  stocking!" 

"So  you  have,  Dotty.  You  got  that  hole 
climbing  up  the  fence.  Come  along  and  sit 
where  I  can  reach  you  and  I'll  darn  it," 
and  Alberta  elevated  Dotty  to  the  table  and, 
turning  down  the  stocking,  calmly  proceeded  to 
mend  it  without  taking  it  off,  while  Mrs. 
Knight  looked  deep  disdain  at  this  "heathen 
shiftlessness." 

"  There,  that's  done.  Now  run  along,  darling, 
and  bring  up  the  things  that  are  in  the  tray. 
Then  we'll  be  through  with  the  trunk.  May 
Martha  put  it  somewhere,  aunt,  or  shall  I  try?" 

"You  can  leave  it  alone.  I'll  have  it  put  in 
the  lumber-room.  You'll  likely  not  want  it  very 
soon  again,"  said  Mrs.  Knight,  and  her  tone 
was  not  cheerful. 

"It's  plain  to  me,  pet,  that  aunt  doesn't  like 
young  people.  We'll  have  to  look  around 
and  find  friends  outside,"  said  Alberta,  as  she 
hammered  away  with  resolute  good-will. 

"Maybe  Clarissa  What's-her-name  is  nice," 
suggested  Dotty.  She  was  used  to  being  her 
sister's  confidante,  and  listened  gravely  to  what- 
ever Alberta  said,  usually  catching  her  mean- 
ing even  if  she  did  not  always  understand  her 

25 


LIBERTY    HALL 

words.  Alberta,  more  mother  than  sister,  for 
she  had  taken  almost  entire  charge  of  the  child 
since  the  mother's  death  when  Dotty  was  only 
two,  had  her  own  ideas  about  training  her. 
They  seemed  to  be  succeeding,  for  every  one 
thought  Dotty  a  darling. 

"Clarissa — Smith,  I  think,  Dotty — is  well 
enough  as  far  as  she  goes,  and  I  expect  we  shall 
see  enough  of  her.  But  I  should  like  some 
friends  that  are  cleaner  and  that  one  could  let 
in  at  the  front  door.  I  have  an  idea  that  door 
hasn't  been  opened  since  the  last  wedding — or 
funeral — in  the  house.  Well,  what  do  we  care? 
The  side  door  is  good  enough — unless  some  one 
of  the  girls  from  school  should  call,  and  that 
isn't  likely." 

"Why?"  asked  Dotty.  She  had  a  droll,  direct 
way  of  putting  this  little  word,  so  perplexing  to 
elder  people,  that  made  them  stop  and  consider 
their  answer.  Alberta  pondered  seriously. 

"Well,  dear,  I  guess  aunt  doesn't  go  out 
much  among  the  neighbors,  and  I  don't  believe 
she  likes  to  have  company." 

"Why?" 

"Because  she's  devoted  to  her  goose,"  said 
Alberta,  desperately.  "Now,  girlie,  I've  got  to 
do  these  lessons.  If  I  don't  get  up  a  name  for 
scholarship  I  might  as  well  be  out  of  the  Acad- 

26 


LIBERTY    HALL 

emy.  I  must  make  the  most  of  my  time,  baby, 
and  not  loaf." 

But  when  she  had  settled  herself  at  the  win- 
dow with  her  books  she  could  not  resist  looking 
out,  and  what  she  saw  riveted  her  gaze  on  the 
lawn  in  front  of  the  big  white  house.  A  gay 
group  was  assembled,  playing  tennis,  and  among 
them  one  tall,  rather  slender  form  in  immaculate 
white  flannels  was  conspicuous  for  dexterity  and 
graceful  movements.  Once  his  ball  shot  outside 
the  fence  and  rolled  into  the  street  and  he 
vaulted  after  it  expertly,  clearing  the  fence  as 
only  such  a  light-weight  could  have  done. 

It  was  a  jolly  crowd— and  Alberta  was  not  in 
it.  Hannah  Beacham,  however,  had  promised 
to  put  up  her  name  for  the  club.  She  devoutly 
hoped  that  Hannah  would  not  forget  it.  She 
did  not  know  that  her  new  friend  had  reckoned 
without  Gladys  Gilpatrick. 


CHAPTER  III 

THE  afternoon  sun  was  withdrawing  from  the 
gaudy  Gilpatrick  parlor,  the  last  rays  linger- 
ing on  the  bright  hair  of  a  girl  who  sat  pouting 
before  the  piano.  In  half  an  hour  she  had  not 
played  two  bars  of  the  music  spread  open  before 
her. 

"I  may  be  made  to  sit  here,  but  I  won't  play," 
she  said.  "  I  hate  music." 

"Gladys,  honey,"  said  a  voice  from  the  door- 
way, "play  your  lesson,  my  pet.  Do,  now,  to 
please  me." 

"I  just  won't,  then,  mamma,  so  there!  You 
might  as  well  make  papa  stop  my  lessons.  I 
shall  never  do  anything  with  music.  Miss 
Burnham  says  I've  no  taste  and  no  ear,  so  what's 
the  use  of  worrying  over  an  old  thing  that  I 
can't  get  on  with?" 

Mrs.  Gilpatrick's  broad,  soft  face,  surmounted 
by  elaborately  dressed  brown  hair,  became  pa- 
thetic. She  came  into  the  room  and,  spreading 
out  her  gown,  covered  with  jet,  sat  down  for  an 
argument  with  her  self-willed  daughter. 

28 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"My  dear,  you  know  it  is  necessary  for  a 
young  lady  to  have  some  music.  I  don't  ask 
you  to  sing,  since  you  declare  you  can't,  though 
it's  a  cross  to  me,  Gladys.  I'd  been  looking 
forward  to  seeing  you  in  a  beautiful  white  silk 
frock  trimmed  with  real  Brussels  lace — or  maybe 
blue  silk,  since  you  are  so  fair  and  have  such  a 
nice  skin.  Perhaps,  after  all,  white  would  be 
best — and  long,  white  gloves ;  and  I  would  lend 
you  my  pearl  necklace,  and  it  would  be  so  sweet, 
and  we  could  have  Miss  Burnham  to  accompany 
you,  and  invite  everybody,  and  your  papa 
would  be  so  proud!  But,  dear  me,  since  you 
won't  sing,  I've  had  to  give  all  that  up.  Now 
please  don't  disappoint  me  about  the  playing. 
You  really  must  play,  my  deary ;  there's  no  way 
out  of  it.  Your  papa  insists  on  it,  and  really, 
this  time  he  is  right.  Do,  now,  practise  your 
music.  Then  I'll  give  you  a  nice  time  with  your 
young  friends  to-morrow  night." 

"You'll  give  me  a  nice  time,  anyway,  mamma, 
whether  I  practise  or  not."  Gladys  saucily 
popped  another  nougat  into  her  mouth  from  a 
box  in  her  pocket  and  cocked  her  head  like  the 
spoiled  girl  she  was. 

"I'm  sure  you  eat  too  much  candy — your 
teeth  will  be  spoiled.  Do  be  careful.  Pretty 
teeth  are  so  important,  especially  with  a  pretty 

29 


LIBERTY    HALL 

mouth,  and  yours  is  very  nice,  I'm  thankful  to 
say.  Mercy  me !  it's  four  o'clock,  and  I'm  sure 
you  haven't  practised  five  minutes!  What  will 
your  father  say?  I  don't  dare  to  tell  him." 

"I  don't  see  what  you  want  to  tell  him  for. 
But  you  won't.  You're  afraid  of  papa,  anyway. 
But  I'm  not.  I'm  going  to  tell  him  myself  that 
I  can't  and  won't  take  music  lessons  any  longer. 
I  want  to  take  riding  lessons  at  the  Lexington 
school." 

"Mercy  me!  Gladys,  I'd  be  afraid  to  see  you 
on  one  of  those  wild  Lexington  horses.  Though, 
to  be  sure,  you'd  look  real  pretty  in  a  navy-blue 
riding-habit,  and  you  could  have  a  little  gold- 
handled  whip,  and  there 'd  have  to  be  a  man  in 
livery  to  go  behind  you  for  looks'  sake.  It 
certainly  would  be  stylish."  Mrs.  Gilpatrick's 
vague  blue  eyes  began  to  look  anxious  as  she 
balanced  the  advantages  of  music  and  riding. 
"I'll  tell  you  what,  Gladys,"  she  added,  bright- 
ening, "you  can't  ride  in  winter.  Nobody 
rides  much  in  winter,  and  the  season's  get- 
ting on.  But  you  be  a  good  girl  and  keep 
on  with  your  music  for  a  little  while,  and  then 
I'll  coax  your  papa  to  buy  you  a  horse  in  the 
spring." 

"Surely,  mamma?  Well,  I  suppose  that's 
fair,"  said  Gladys,  reluctantly.  "It's  a  pretty 

30 


LIBERTY    HALL 

high  price  to  pay  for  my  pleasure,  though.  An 
hour  every  day  for  six  months,  and  three  lessons 
a  week,  besides.  That  makes  about  two  hundred 
and  twenty  hours  at  this  old  piano.  It's  a  stiff 
bargain."  She  twirled  around  and  gave  a  run- 
ning bang  to  the  keys,  which  her  mother 
interpreted  as  the  chromatic  scale. 

"That's  a  dear."  Mrs.  Gilpatrick  rose  with 
a  smile  of  relief.  "Just  you  do  your  best,  and 
please  your  papa,  and  I'm  sure  he'll  give  you 
the  prettiest  turn-out  a  girl  could  wish  for. 
And  maybe,  if  you  work  a  little,  you'll  begin  to 
take  an  interest." 

"Not  a  little  bit  I  won't,"  thought  Gladys, 
but  she  held  her  peace,  content  with  having  won 
her  indulgent  mother  over  to  her  pet  plan. 
Practising  faithfully,  however,  was  not  in  her 
power.  When  the  tedious  hour  was  finally  over 
she  closed  the  piano  with  a  sigh  of  relief  and 
flew  out  of  doors  to  enjoy  the  little  sunshine  that 
remained  of  the  day.  The  first  person  she  saw 
was  Roy  Dezevolos,  in  flannels,  going  home 
from  the  Beachams',  and  it  increased  her  resent- 
ment over  her  enforced  duty  indoors. 

"Isn't  it  a  burning  shame,  Roy?  I  couldn't 
come  to  the  game  on  account  of  this  horrid 
piano  business.  But  I'll  come  to-morrow,  you'd 
better  believe  I  will." 

31 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Awfully  sorry,  Gladys,  but  I  reckon  there'll 
be  no  game  to-morrow.  Alf  and  I  are  going  to 
Lexington.  You  can  play  singles,  though." 

"You  know  that  isn't  any  fun,"  she  pouted. 
He  smiled  at  her  and  tried  to  coax  her  into 
good  humor.  Everybody — with  one  exception- 
coaxed  Gladys.  She  was  like  a  small  spark  of 
fire  that  people  feared  might  start  up  a  con- 
flagration. Roy,  who  had  a  pleasant,  rather  un- 
formed face,  with  kind  blue  eyes  and  a  ready 
smile,  could  do  more  with  her  than  almost  any- 
body else,  for  she  valued  his  approval  and 
dearly  liked  to  be  seen  with  him.  The  Dezevolos 
family  was  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  respected 
in  the  county,  and  their  fine  old  mansion  was  a 
gathering-place  for  the  best  of  Elmville's  old 
families.  To  these  the  Gilpatricks  could  not  be 
said  to  belong.  Gladys,  whose  little  head  was 
filled  with  worldly  schemes,  took  many  things 
into  account  when  she  cultivated  a  friendship 
with  Roy. 

As  the  pair  stood  on  the  street  Alberta  passed, 
with  Dotty,  and  Gladys  gave  her  schoolmate  a 
cool  bow,  inwardly  vexed  by  the  encounter. 
Alberta  returned  the  nod  with  exactly  the  same 
shade  of  indifference.  Of  course  Roy  knew  who 
the  stranger  was,  and  he  instantly  began  to  talk 
of  her,  praising  her  pretty  eyes  and  the  way  she 

32 


LIBERTY    HALL 

walked.  If  he  had  been  a  little  older  he  would 
not  have  done  it. 

"Hannah  Beacham  has  taken  her  up,  but  I'm 
not  going  to  be  bossed  by  Hannah,  and  I  mean 
to  keep  her  out  of  the  club  when  her  name  is 
proposed,"  declared  Gladys.  "We  don't  want 
any  of  that  kind  in,  do  we?" 

"What  kind,  Glad?" 

"In  the  first  place,  she's  a  Westerner,  and,  of 
course,  she  hasn't  any  of  our  ways  or  ideas. 
Can't  you  see  that  she's  strong-minded  and 
masculine  and  all  that?" 

"I  reckon  my  eyes  must  be  growing  weak;  I 
didn't  see  it.  All  I  saw  was  a  rather  pretty, 
dignified -looking  girl  with  something  mighty 
taking  about  her  face.  Queer  prejudices  you 
girls  have  against  one  another.  She  couldn't 
help  being  born  in  Kansas,  could  she?" 

"Oh,  that's  the  way  my  brother  John  is  going 
to  talk,"  cried  Gladys  in  a  pet.  "If  you're  a 
friend  of  mine,  Roy,  don't  make  up  to  this 
Miss  Dictionary,  or  we'll  surely  fall  out." 

"Miss  what?" 

Gladys  explained  the  nickname,  content  to 
have  the  chance  to  make  the  charge  of  conceit 
and  egotism  against  a  girl  she  had  not  exchanged 
ten  words  with  in  as  many  days.  Roy  looked 
thoughtful,  but  committed  himself  to  nothing. 

33 


LIBERTY    HALL 

The  more  Gladys  talked  the  sorrier  he  was  in- 
clined to  feel  for  the  Western  stranger.  He 
liked  to  be  good  friends  with  everybody,  and 
inwardly  wished  girls  would  not  be  so  nasty 
with  one  another  and  make  trouble  for  the 
fellows. 

He  had  scarcely  parted  from  Gladys  before 
she  ran  over  to  her  cousin,  Carrie  Elton,  to  issue 
her  commands  about  keeping  Miss  Dictionary 
out  of  their  club.  The  Young  Folks'  Club  was 
a  social  society,  membership  in  which  marked 
one  out  as  being  "somebody."  In  winter  the 
members  danced  at  one  another's  houses;  in 
summer  they  played  tennis  and  made  excur- 
sions. The  club  numbered  about  twenty  mem- 
bers, girls  and  boys,  and  their  elders  took  much 
interest  in  it  and  helped  it  along  with  occasional 
contributions  when  there  was  a  scheme  in  hand 
that  made  financial  aid  necessary.  The  Acad- 
emy was  both  a  day  and  a  boarding  school,  but 
none  of  the  boarders  belonged  to  the  club,  for 
the  simple  reason  that  the  principal  would  not 
allow  them  to.  Naturally,  there  was  nothing  in 
the  world  the  boarders  longed  for  so  much  as  the 
privilege  of  membership;  and  from  time  to 
time,  when  there  was  a  "reception"  with  in- 
vited guests,  and  Miss  Elkins  graciously  gave  her 
permission  for  a  few  pupils  of  more  than  ordinary 

34 


LIBERTY    HALL 

merit  to  accept  an  invitation,  there  were  rejoic- 
ings and  heartburnings.  Later,  the  guests  were 
besieged  by  classmates  for  histories  of  the  out- 
side world,  from  which  the  latter  victims  of 
school  discipline  were  excluded. 

"And  was  Roy  Dezevolos  there,  and  did  you 
really  dance  twice  with  him?  They  say  he's  the 
best  dancer  in  Elmville,  and  that  Gladys  is 
furious  when  he  doesn't  engage  her  for  half  the 
dances.  And  did  you  meet  her  brother  John, 
the  stiff,  awkward  fellow  that's  clerking  at  his 
uncle's,  the  carpenter?  Say,  aren't  they  just  a 
little  ordinary — those  Gilpatricks?"  Such  con- 
fidences as  these  were  made  in  whispers,  and 
with  a  look  of  apprehension,  for  if  Gladys  was 
not  adored  by  her  mates  she  was  certainly 
feared. 

But  nobody  stood  in  quite  as  much  awe  of  her 
as  the  long-suffering  Carrie  Elton,  who  had  been 
her  victim  since  infancy,  and  remained  her  hyp- 
notized admirer.  She  was  a  plump,  white  little 
thing,  with  pale-blue  eyes  and  a  silly  smile,  but 
with  a  genuinely  good  heart,  which  made  her 
privately  try  to  undo  much  of  the  petty  spite 
worked  out  by  the  frankly  tyrannical  Gladys. 
Gladys,  as  the  Gilpatrick  servants  said,  "Had 
her  own  way  till  her  own  way  didn't  do  her!" 

"Pride  cometh  before  destruction,  honey,  and 

35 


LIBERTY    HALL 

a  haughty  spirit  before  a  fall,"  warned  the  old 
colored  cook,  when  the  young  lady  grew  too 
topping,  at  which  Gladys  would  toss  her  head. 
Her  life  lessons  were  all  to  learn.  So  now,  when 
Carrie  showed  a  frightened  face  over  the  ve- 
hemence that  was  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
subject  of  Miss  Dictionary,  Gladys  frowned  and 
grew  more  decided. 

"Why  don't  you  like  her,  honey?"  pleaded 
Carrie.  "It  isn't  her  fault  her  aunt's  queer. 
And  I  heard  her  say  something  nice  about  you 
the  second  day.  She  said  you  had  beautiful 
hair." 

"Oh,  thanks  to  her!  I  guess  she  was  just 
fishing  for  a  compliment  herself.  Her  hair's 
about  her  only  beauty.  Some  people  might 
rave  about  those  eyes  of  hers,  but  I  don't 
admire  them.  Do  you?" 

"Oh — not — particularly.  I  did  think  she  was 
going  to  be  good  at  composition,  until  Miss 
Elkins  found  so  much  fault  with  that  verse  she 
sent  in  last  week.  You  write  such  pretty  verses 
yourself,  Glad!  Nobody  can  come  up  to  you." 

Gladys  bridled  and  looked  important.  It  was 
a  puzzle  to  her  teachers  where  the  frivolous 
little  thing  got  her  apparent  knack  at  turning 
out  flowery  bits  of  verse.  She  would  stand  up 
on  class  days  and  read  out  in  an  affected,  thin 

36 


LIBERTY    HALL 

voice  really  charming,  if  tiny,  couplets  which 
were  almost  devoid  of  faults.  She  had  a  habit 
of  carrying  a  note-book  about  with  her  and 
scribbling  down  what  seemed  like  sudden  bursts 
of  inspired  fancy;  but  these  she  positively  re- 
fused to  show  to  anybody.  Some  pupils  thought 
her  a  genius.  But  an  odd  thing  was  that  she 
never  boasted  at  home  about  her  "poetry,"  and 
if  any  stray  comment  about  it  penetrated  that 
far,  she  looked  completely  unconscious  and 
denied  everything.  It  was  rather  remarkable—; 
this  modesty  in  a  person  so  vain  about  every- 
thing else  concerning  herself. 

"I'll  tell  you,  dear,"  she  said,  soothed  in  spite 
of  her  intention  to  be  very  determined,  "I  saw 
from  the  first  minute  I  laid  my  eyes  on  this 
Alberta  Lewis  that  she  is  this  kind:  you  have 
either  got  to  keep  her  down  or  be  under  her 
thumb.  She's  naturally  bossy;  and  though  she 
hasn't  made  any  show  of  it  yet,  I  know  we've 
got  to  make  a  stand.  I  don't  propose  to  have 
any  girl  from  the  wild  and  woolly  West,  as  papa 
says,  coming  it  over  me.  Papa  says  he  always 
has  to  keep  his  eyes  wide  open  when  he  has  a. 
deal  on  with  a  man  from  out  there.  They're  so 
set  on  getting  the  best  of  you.  Don't  you  know 
how  Alberta  looks  at  you — as  if  she  was  trying 
to  see  clear  through  you?  It  makes  me  creepy." 

37 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Well,  we  haven't  anything  to  conceal,"  said 
Carrie,  consolingly. 

"Nobody  wants  all  his  personal  affairs  opened 
up,"  sharply  rebuked  Gladys.  "I  hate  a  spy. 
But  I  dare  say  if  folks  made  a  business  of  hunt- 
ing up  things  about  this  girl  they  wouldn't  find 
everything  to  her  credit." 

Carrie  was  astonished,  used  as  she  was  to  her 
cousin's  animosities.  She  now  recalled  that 
Alberta  had  worn  a  singular  expression  the  day 
Gladys  read  aloud  her  verses  on  falling  autumn 
leaves,  which  everybody  thought  so  original  and 
pretty.  Probably  the  young  verse-maker  had 
resented  the  implied  criticism.  She  ventured  to 
say  all  the  ingratiating  things  she  could  think 
of,  but  Gladys  stuck  to  her  point,  which  was 
that  Carrie  was  to  back  her  up  when  she  ob- 
jected to  the  new-comer's  admission  to  the  club. 
Once  kept  out  of  that,  Gladys  felt  that  Alberta 
could  not  make  much  progress  in  popularity 
among  the  members  of  the  youthful  set  in  Elm- 
ville.  Besides  the  club  there  were  only  the  rare 
and  tame  frolics  of  the  Academy  boarding  pupils ; 
and  she  could  not,  of  course,  join  in  those. 

44 1  don't  believe  she  has  much  to  her,  anyway, 
in  spite  of  all  that  dignity,"  she  averred, 
scornfully. 

"Well,  I  don't  know  much  about  her,  honey. 
38 


LIBERTY    HALL 

But  Hannah  Beacham  has  taken  her  up,  any- 
way. They  took  a  long  walk  together  yesterday 
afternoon.  I  met  them."  She  did  not  add  that 
she  had  stopped  and  chatted  in  a  pleasant  way, 
and  that  she  had  invited  Alberta  to  call  on  her. 
It  had  been  done  impulsively,  and  she  was 
alarmed  now  lest  the  invitation  should  be 
accepted  and  Gladys  made  furious. 

"You  needn't  rub  that  in,  Cad;  I  know 
Hannah  has  taken  a  fancy  to  her.  But  what  do 
I  care  for  that?"  An  anxious  wrinkle  in  her 
pretty  forehead  belied  the  words,  and  she  was 
frankly  cross  when  she  took  leave,  feeling  that 
Carrie  was  only  half-hearted  in  something  that 
was  very  important  to  herself.  She  was  the 
more  stiffly  bent  upon  making  things  unpleas- 
ant for  Miss  Dictionary.  When  a  girl  like 
Gladys  is  opposed  she  has  a  sense  of  injury  that 
must  be  wiped  out  by  vehement  action.  Old 
Mr.  Gilpatrick  was  what  is  called  "a  good 
fighter,"  and  his  Scotch  temper  had  descended 
to  his  daughter.  But,  to  do  him  justice,  the 
old  gentleman  seldom  fought  in  a  bad  cause. 

4 


CHAPTER  IV 

OH,  girls,  have  you  heard  about  it?  Such 
a  fuss  at  the  club  yesterday!  All  because 
Gladys  was  determined  that  Alberta  Lewis 
should  not  be  taken  in." 

"Did  they  let  her  in?  Who  told  you  about 
it?  Was  Hannah  mad?  Hurry  and  tell  it  all, 
quick,  before  the  bell  rings  for  supper."  An 
excited  group  in  the  room  of  one  of  the  Seniors 
at  the  Academy  gathered  around  Miriam  Davis, 
who  had  been  given  a  holiday  the  day  before  to 
go  to  see  an  aunt  at  Lexington.  Miriam  took 
on  the  look  of  a  bringer  of  news. 

"She's  in,  all  right,  but  it  was  a  scratch.  I 
guess  if  she  knew  about  it  she'd  feel  queer. 
Gladys  lost  her  temper  and  said  things.  You 
know  what  sort  of  things  she  can  say.  But  it 
happened  that  her  brother  John  was  present. 
You  know  he's  an  honorary  member,  and  just 
when  the  ballot  was  going  to  be  taken  he  saun- 
tered in,  quite  unexpectedly.  He  has  a  vote 
because  he  gives  a  lot  to  the  club.  Generous 
fellow,  and  earns  his  money,  too.  You  ought 

40 


LIBERTY    HALL 

to  have  seen  the  way  he  quieted  his  sister !  My, 
but  I  guess  she's  got  one  boss  in  him.  But  he 
was  polite  enough.  Emily  Morrison  told  me 
about  it,  and  you  know  she  never  overstates 
anything.  She  says  John  told  Gladys  not  to  be 
a  little  cat,  and  that  the  majority  rules  in  the 
Young  Folks',  not  the  whims  of  one  or  two 
members.  John  is  democratic,  right  enough, 
isn't  he?  Of  course,  he  has  to  be.  But  the 
funny  part  is  that  most  of  the  boys  are  on  the 
side  of  Miss  Dick,  before  any  of  them  except 
Roy  have  ever  seen  her,  and  just  because  they 
think  she's  been  hustled  by  Gladys.  And 
Hannah  is  her  great  friend,  of  course,  so  most  of 
the  girls  will  be  nice  to  her,  whether  they  care 
about  her  or  not.  Well,  anyway,  she's  a 
member,  and  Gladys  is  downed  for  once." 

"How  silly  of  Gladys  to  take  such  a  prejudice 
against  any  one,"  commented  a  listener.  "I 
don't  think  she  means  to  be  hateful,  but  she  lets 
her  feelings  run  away  with  her.  I  know  she 
thinks  that  Alberta  dislikes  her." 

"Well,  I  think  Miss  Dick  has  some  strong 
opinions  of  her  own.  She's  not  so  easy  as  we 
Southern  girls  are,  and  not  so  lazy,  maybe.  To 
hear  her  recite  in  the  history  class  is  to  be  made 
to  sit  up  and  take  notice.  Is  she  a  Yankee? 
Would  you  call  her  one?" 

41 


LIBERTY    HALL 

There  was  a  chorus.  "No,  no,  can't  be.  A 
Lewis,  you  know.  Goes  back  ever  and  ever  so 
far.  Mrs.  Knight  isn't  one  of  the  family,  really, 
and  Alberta's  grandmother  was  the  sweetest  old 
lady  that  ever  was.  My  mother  knew  her. 
Really,  girls,  we  ought  to  be  as  nice  as  we  can 
to  Alberta.  She's  just  lost  her  father,  poor 
thing." 

"Well,  I  never  could  bear  a  girl  that  had  that 
set  to  her  mouth." 

"You're  as  bad  as  Gladys.  Hush  up,  Polly. 
There's  the  old  bell.  Wish  I  had  a  chance  to  go 
to  one  of  those  club  meetings  myself,  and  see 
the  fun.  Nothing  to  look  forward  to  but  the 
Christmas  play.  Are  you  going  to  be  in  it?" 

The  chatter  died  away  as  the  girls  walked  se- 
dately into  the  dining-room,  under  the  calm  but 
minutely  observing  gaze  of  the  teacher  of  math- 
ematics, whose  duty  it  was  to  preside  over  the 
demure  repast  of  supper.  To-night  it  was  dried 
beef  and  apple  sauce,  and  if  there  was  a  more 
unpopular  combination  the  girls  had  yet  to  find 
it.  Melancholy  resignation  replaced  the  enthu- 
siasm that  had  lighted  the  faces  of  the  talkers, 
and  they  temporarily  forgot  the  topic  that  had 
engrossed  them. 

Perhaps  it  was  as  well  that  Alberta  did  not 
suspect  what  excitement  her  entrance  into  the 

42 


LIBERTY    HALL 

club  had  occasioned  among  her  friends.  She 
had  received  with  a  happy  smile  the  news 
Hannah  had  sent  her  in  a  charming  note  that 
morning,  and  it  made  her  feel  brighter  and  more 
hopeful  than  anything  that  happened  to  her 
since  arriving  in  Elmville.  Her  home  life  with 
her  aunt  was  dreary  in  the  extreme,  and  but  for 
the  indefatigable  good  spirits  of  Dotty,  who  had 
one  of  those  delightful  temperaments  that  noth- 
ing can  long  depress,  she  would  have  been 
tempted  to  give  way  to  fits  of  gloom  in  the  dingy 
old  house.  It  seldom  admitted  a  gleam  of  sun- 
shine, but  was  inclosed  by  a  grove  of  ancient 
trees,  now  half  shorn  of  their  leaves,  and  often 
dropping  moisture  from  the  autumn  rains. 

This  Saturday  morning,  however,  the  sun 
shone  brightly,  and  coming  down-stairs  for  the 
early  breakfast,  Alberta  found  her  aunt  putting 
away  her  sewing  and  giving  her  mind  to  other 
affairs.  Martha  was  already  there,  and  gave 
her  a  demure  smile  as  she  seized  a  broom  and 
pail  that  stood  in  the  stairway  and  mounted  to 
the  second  floor  with  them.  Evidently  it  was 
cleaning-day — a  day  Alberta  had  hated  at  home, 
but  now  welcomed  as  a  relief  from  the  unen- 
durable inactivity  that  usually  prevailed  in  the 
Knight  household.  The  breakfast  was  hurried 
and  scanty.  Dotty,  springing  up,  got  hold  of 

43 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Martha's  apron  and  began  to   talk  into  her 

ear. 

"Can't  get  a  blessed  thing  done  for  thisyere 
child,"  said  the  old  woman,  whimsically;  but 
she  was  careful  not  to  let  Mrs.  Knight  hear  her. 

"Don't  you  yike  me?"  demanded  Dotty, 
sweetly. 

"Listen,  people!  Of  course  I  like  you,  honey; 
but  just  run  along  and  play  now,  like  a  lamb, 
and  leave  me  get  the  cleaning  done.  Yo'  aunt 
don't  put  up  with  no  foolin'  when  she  pays  a 
pusson  by  the  day." 

Mrs.  Knight  came  out  with  the  purple  gown 
hanging  on  her  arm  and  tenderly  adjusted  it  over 
the  clothes-line,  giving  full  effect  to  the  plaiting 
on  the  bottom  of  the  skirt  as  she  stretched  out 
the  length. 

' '  I  really  believe  I  like  this  dress  better  'n  any 
one  I  got,"  she  said. 

"And  she's  only  got  about  three,  all  told," 
observed  Martha  in  an  aside  to  Alberta.  "  Never 
see  any  pusson  so  loath  to  spend  money  on 
clothes  as  yo'  aunt.  Makes  over  all  her  mother- 
in-law's  old  things  till  the  cloth  and  silk  won't 
hold  together." 

"Have  you  put  the  dye  on  to  steep?"  de- 
manded Mrs.  Knight,  sepulchrally.  "I've  got 
to  turn  into  mourning,  though  black  is  a  nasty, 

44 


LIBERTY    HALL 

dirt-catching  color.  But  I've  got  to  appear 
decent  at  church.  And  as  well  soon  as  late." 

"  Yes,  ma'am,  it's  on  the  stove.  You'd  better 
hurry  up,  or  that'ere  dress  won't  be  dry  by  the 
time  you  want  to  press  it." 

"It  was  always  such  a  pretty  color,  and  so 
becoming,"  murmured  the  owner  of  the  purple, 
picking  out  the  points  of  the  collar. 

Alberta  wondered  why  she  dyed  it.  But  a 
significant  glance  from  Martha  warned  her  not 
to  ask  questions.  Martha  now  opened  up  the 
parlor  windows  and  began  to  set  out  the 
furniture. 

"Do  you  do  all  this  every  Saturday?"  asked 
Alberta. 

"Laws,  no,  miss!  thisyere's  the  fall  cleaning," 
explained  Martha.  "A  room  that's  shut  up 
most  of  the  time  don't  need  cleaning  very  often." 

Alberta  wandered  into  the  apartment  and 
came  out  again,  shrugging  her  shoulders.  "The 
hen-house  is  more  agreeable  than  that  room.  It 
smells  of  graveyards.  What  does  she  keep  it 
shut  up  for?" 

"They're  mostly  kept  so  hereabouts,  to  keep 
out  the  flies,  honey.  They  do  say  some  new 
ways  has  crep'  in  'mongst  the  upper  ten.  Mrs. 
Judge  Beacham,  now,  and  Mrs.  Canfield — she 
that  has  a  husband  in  the  army — some  wild, 

45 


LIBERTY    HALL 

heathen  place  in  Florida  he's  in,  and  won't  let 
her  be  thar  with  him — they  say  they  let  in  all 
the  sunshine  on  their  carpets  and  just  live  all 
over  the  house  every  day.  But  then,  they  can 
afford  to  buy  new  furniture  every  week  if  they're 
so  disposed.  Thisyere,  now,  belonged  to  yo* 
grandma,  and  she — Mrs.  Knight — sets  a  heap  o' 
store  by  it." 

"She's  welcome  to  keep  it  as  choice  as  she 
likes,"  said  Alberta,  looking  sadly  at  the  black 
haircloth  sofa  and  chairs,  and  sitting  down  re- 
signedly on  the  door-steps.  "Is  the  dining- 
room  going  to  be  cleaned,  too,  Martha?"  with 
sudden  access  of  interest. 

"If  I  gets  'round  to  it,"  doubtfully. 

"Then  I'll  do  that,"  and  Alberta  sprang  up 
energetically.  "I'd  rather  do  it  than  sit  still." 

"That  girl's  got  a  heap  o'  spring  to  her," 
muttered  Martha,  as  the  windows  flew  open  and 
the  sound  of  a  great  stirring  of  things  came  to 
her  ears.  Mrs.  Knight  was  happily  occupied  in 
the  far-off  kitchen,  so  Alberta  had  a  clear  field. 

Meanwhile  Dotty,  squatted  at  a  hole  in  the 
fence,  was  pursuing  an  acquaintance  with  Cla- 
rissa Evelyn  Smith.  A  retail  store  was  set  up  on 
the  Knight  side,  furnished  with  such  material  as 
Dotty  supplied  from  her  stock  of  toys,  and 
Clarissa  bought  so  industriously  that  soon  noth- 

46 


LIBERTY    HALL 

ing  remained  to  the  young  merchant  but  a  lamb 
with  all  its  legs  off  and  a  heap  of  pebble  money. 

"Now  it's  my  turn  to  buy,"  said  Dotty. 

Clarissa  pretended  a  great  yawn.  "I's  tired 
o'  playin'  sto*.  Let's  blow  soap-bubbles.  You 
go  and  get  a  cent  and  I'll  go  buy  a  pipe,  and  we 
kin  blow  'em  in  thisyere  tin  cup." 

Dotty  ran  in  and  procured  the  cent  from  her 
little  bank,  then  returned  to  the  fence-hole.  A 
stillness  reigned  in  the  place  of  the  cheerful  song 
of  the  black  visitor. 

"Clary!" 

No  response  from  the  other  side  of  the  fence. 

"Clarissa!"  in  a  louder  tone,  and  then,  with 
sudden  insight — "Clarissa  Smith,  give  me  back 
my  things!" 

"They's  mine;  you  done  sole  'em  to  me  yo'- 
self,"  said  the  voice  of  Clarissa  from  a  safe 
distance. 

It  was  Dotty's  first  experience  of  the  sharp 
practice  of  the  small  black,  and  for  a  moment 
she  was  too  astonished  to  complain.  Then  she 
fled  to  Martha  and  demanded  redress,  while 
Clarissa  poked  her  head  through  the  hole  and 
held  on  to  her  rights,  looking  anxious. 

Martha  approached  with  the  broom  poised 
aloft.  "You  Clarissa  Smith,  you  little  limb  o* 
Satan,  if  you  don't  give  thisyere  white  child 

47 


LIBERTY    HALL 

ebery  one  o'  them  things  back  straight  off 
I's  gwine  wear  out  thisyere  broom  on  you,  so 
I  is!" 

The  little  nigger  began  to  cry  bitterly  as  she 
reluctantly  shoved  through  the  hole  the  doll's 
cups  and  saucers,  the  ball  and  set  of  jack-straws 
she  had  owned  for  a  brief,  happy  half -hour. 

"You's  a  mean,  stingy  chile,"  she  muttered, 
"an*  I  ain't  nebber  goin'  to  play  with  you  no 
more.  You  done  got  a  whole  heap  o'  playthings 
and  you  won't  gib  me  so  much  as  the  jumpin'- 
jack!" 

Dotty  was  touched.  She  looked  at  her  apron- 
ful  and  picked  out  the  jumping-jack.  "Here, 
Clary,  you  may  have  it.  And  I  ain't  mad  with 
you." 

"  Now  see  the  sweetness  o'  that  child !  Ain't 
you  'shamed  o'  yo'self,  Clarissa?"  demanded 
Martha,  severely. 

Clarissa  made  a  grimace  and  ran  off;  but  a 
little  later  Dotty  heard  her  name  called,  and, 
going  to  the  rendezvous,  had  a  knob  of  sticky 
taffy  poked  through  to  her,  with  the  pacifying 
assurance : 

"I  ain't  mad  wid  you  now,  Dotty,  and  I'll 
play  sto*  wid  you  agin,  if  you  wants  to,  and  sell 
you  the  jumpin'-jack  for  real  money.  Has  you 
got  the  cent?" 

48 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"I'd  rather  play  soap-bubbles,"  said  Dotty, 
with  dignity.  "But  Martha  is  going  to  buy 
the  pipe  for  me  herself,  when  she  goes  to  the 
store." 

"Then  let's  you  and  me  play  school  till  she 
comes  back,"  suggested  Clarissa,  with  ready 
assurance.  Dotty  drew  up  her  stool  and  they 
passed  the  time  very  agreeably,  in  a  most  orig- 
inal schoolkeeping  which  gave  the  white  child 
several  points  that  she  put  into  practice  later  on. 

When  Mrs.  Knight  emerged  from  the  back 
kitchen,  which  connected  with  the  rest  of  the 
house  by  a  little  covered  shed,  she  heard 
Alberta's  strong,  cheerful  voice  singing  a  college 
song  while  she  beat  an  accompaniment  with  the 
handle  of  the  dusting-brush  on  the  back  of  a 
chair.  Going  in,  she  was  horrified  to  find  the 
room  arranged  after  an  entirely  new  fashion; 
her  sewing-machine,  cutting-table,  and  chair  be- 
ing disposed  near  one  window,  while  the  lounge, 
entirely  "rid  off"  of  all  the  articles  that  usually 
lumbered  it,  was  drawn  across  a  corner,  facing 
a  stand  holding  a  lamp  and  a  pile  of  books.  The 
other  half  of  the  room  seemed  to  have  been 
turned  over  to  the  dining  department,  for  an 
ancient  sideboard,  garnished  with  a  few  pieces 
of  glassware,  faced  the  table,  which  was  spread 
out  and  covered  with  a  crimson  cloth.  In  the 

49 


LIBERTY    HALL 

center  was  a  dish  of  feathery  clematis,  gathered 
from  the  vine  against  the  fence. 

44  Looks  nice,  aunt,  doesn't  it?"  said  Alberta, 
waving  the  dusting-brush. 

4 'Where  have  you  put  my  work?"  gasped  her 
aunt. 

"All  in  the  big  basket.  See.  I  have  folded 
each  thing  by  itself  and  rolled  together  every- 
thing that  belongs  together,  so  you  will  not  have 
any  trouble." 

"I  think  you  have  a  lot  of  impudence!  How 
do  you  know  but  I  like  my  own  way  best?" 

Alberta's  bright  face  clouded.  She  had  hoped 
to  win  her  aunt's  good-will  by  her  morning  of 
hard  work,  and  had  really  done  her  best  to  ar- 
range everything  with  regard  to  that  lady's 
convenience,  as  well  as  with  some  suggestion  of 
prettiness  and  order.  She  turned  away,  too 
proud  to  show  her  disappointment,  and  gather- 
ing up  the  books  she  had  brought  from  her  own 
room,  piled  them  on  her  arm  to  take  up-stairs 
again.  One  of  them  fell  to  the  floor  and  lay 
open — an  old  book  that  had  been  her  mother's 
and  which  she  was  fond  of  looking  over.  Uncon- 
sciously her  eyes  fell  on  the  page  as  she  picked 
it  up,  and  took  in  the  meaning  of  what  she  saw. 
She  started,  and  at  once  forgot  her  unpleasant 
feelings  in  the  shock  of  a  discovery. 

50 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"So  that  was  why  it  seemed  so  familiar,"  she 
thought,  as  she  went  up  the  stairs  with  the 
books.  Spreading  the  old  volume  open  on  her 
bed,  she  studied  the  page  for  some  minutes, 
nodding  with  emphasis  as  she  read  it  again. 
Her  upper  lip  took  on  a  curl  as  she  reflected,  and 
she  shrugged  her  shoulders.  Apparently  the 
matter  was  not  one  to  be  acted  upon,  however, 
for  she  took  pains  to  place  the  old  book  at  the 
back  of  her  row,  as  something  she  would  rather 
not  see  often.  But  her  face  was  exceedingly 
grave  when  later  on  she  ran  down-stairs  and 
out  of  doors  with  Dotty,  who  wanted  to  be 
taken  for  a  walk. 

Two  persons  cannot  open  a  gate  at  the  same 
time,  especially  when  one  of  them  is  inside  and 
the  other  outside!  As  Alberta,  with  her  eyes 
musingly  fixed  on  the  distance,  essayed  to  put 
her  hand  on  the  latch,  it  came  into  contact  with 
the  hand  of  a  young  man,  a  tall,  thin  young 
fellow  who  was  in  the  act  of  coming  in. 

He  took  off  his  hat  in  a  manner  that  somehow 
made  her  aware  that  she  had  on  her  oldest  hat 
and  shabbiest  shoes,  but  his  voice  was  very 
courteous  as  he  said  that  he  had  come  to  see 
Mrs.  Knight.  Was  she  at  home? 

"She  is,"  said  Alberta,  experiencing  a  mo- 
ment's thankfulness  that  the  dingy  parlor  had 

51 


LIBERTY    HALL 

been  aired  and  cleaned  that  afternoon.  As  the 
front  door  had  been  left  unlocked,  she  ventured 
to  usher  him  in  that  way  and  to  open  a  blind 
and  admit  a  ray  of  light.  As  she  was  departing 
to  summon  her  aunt  he  stopped  her. 

"You  are  the  niece  of  Mrs.  Knight?  I  think 
I  have  seen  you  before,  with  a  friend  of  mine, 
Hannah  Beacham.  She  is  already  great  friends 
with  you,  isn't  she?  Then  we  are  sure  to  meet 
often." 

"If  you  are  a  friend  of  Hannah  I  am  very 
glad  to  know  you,"  answered  Alberta,  with  a 
smile  that  improved  her  extremely.  There  was 
a  flash  of  gay  sweetness,  a  frank  cordiality,  that 
made  the  young  man  mentally  agree  with  Han- 
nah in  her  estimate  of  her  new  acquaintance. 

Dotty  now  thought  it  time  to  announce  her- 
self, and  observed:  "I'm  glad  to  know  you,  too. 
I've  got  two  acquaintances  now,  besides  what  we 
know  at  school." 

"Who  is  the  other?"  asked  Roy,  stroking  her 
curls  and  smiling  on  the  little  girl. 

Alberta  had  time  for  one  thrill  of  apprehen- 
sion as  to  what  was  coming  before  Dotty  re- 
turned with  a  quaint  air  of  importance:  "  Clarissa 
Evelyn  Smith.  She  is  our  nighest  neighbor." 

"She  is  a  little  black  child,"  explained  Al- 
berta, stifling  a  nervous  giggle.  "My  little 

52 


LIBERTY    HALL 

sister  doesn't  know  the  difference.  There  were 
no  negroes  where  we  came  from,  and  everything 
is  so  new  here.  I  will  call  my  aunt.  Come, 
Dotty!" 

"Good-by,"  responded  Roy,  with  a  laugh  in 
his  eyes.  "Good-by,  little  girl.  Don't  forget 
you've  promised  me  to  be  friends." 

"Isn't  he  nice?"  asked  Dotty,  skipping  away. 
''Sister,  did  you  notice  his  beautiful  watch- 
chain?" 

Alberta  had  noticed  not  only  the  watch- 
chain,  but  the  entire  fashionable  costume  of  the 
young  man,  who  wore  his  clothes  with  that  easy 
unconsciousness  only  possible  to  those  whose 
garments,  as  the  colored  people  say,  "grow  on 
trees,"  without  the  possessors  having  to  worry 
over  them.  She  glanced  down  at  her  own  dress 
and  felt  annoyed  by  the  contrast.  Not  having 
expected  to  meet  any  one,  she  had  neglected  to 
brush  it  well,  or  to  attend  to  those  little  details 
of  fresh  frills  and  well-adjusted  skirt  which  add 
so  much  to  their  owner's  correct  appearance. 
Alberta  was  apt  to  throw  her  clothing  on,  in  an 
absent-minded  way,  as  many  energetic  people 
do,  having  what  they  consider  more  important 
things  on  hand.  At  home  the  days  had  been  so 
full  of  activity,  she  had  lived  in  such  a  rush  from 
morning  till  night,  with  school- work  and  out- 

53 


LIBERTY    HALL 

door  amusements,  that  she  had  fallen  into  the 
way  of  donning  an  outing  blouse  and  skirt,  a  tie 
that  was  quickly  put  on,  and  a  cap  that  would 
answer  for  anything.  She  had  not  had  time  or 
inclination  for  "fussing,"  and  her  indifference 
had  resulted  in  letting  her  wardrobe  run  down. 
After  her  father's  death,  when  it  had  been  dis- 
covered that  she  was  not  to  be  the  wealthy 
heiress  he  had  intended  and  hoped  to  leave  her, 
she  had  found  herself  with  scarcely  the  neces- 
saries of  a  decent  toilet.  A  couple  of  black 
frocks  and  some  coats  and  hats  had  been  bought 
ready-made,  but  there  had  been  no  money  for 
accessories;  and  when  she  now  mentally  ran 
over  the  articles  of  her  wardrobe  her  cheek 
burned  at  its  scantiness.  Dotty  was  much 
better  provided,  happily;  and  that  fact  gave 
her  some  comfort.  With  the  breezy  disdain  of 
Westerners  for  the  supposed  old-fashioned  ways 
of  the  South,  she  had  thought  that  what  she 
had  was  good  enough  for  Elmville.  But  to  her 
astonishment  she  had  already  seen  more  beauti- 
ful, pretentious  toilets  on  women  and  girls,  more 
attention  to  style  among  the  men,  than  had 
prevailed  at  Topeka.  It  had  annoyed  her,  and, 
now  that  she  had  been  suddenly  brought  into 
contact  with  one  of  the  aristocratic  youths 
known  to  her  school  friends,  and  with  whom 

54 


LIBERTY    HALL 

she,  too,  would  probably  be  in  touch,  she  felt 
mortified.  Alberta  had  a  soul  above  trifles,  and 
could  console  herself  for  deficiencies  of  dress 
with  the  reflection  of  her  social  equality  with 
persons  who  paid  more  attention  to  it.  But  she 
was  just  sixteen,  and  sixteen  is  sensitive. 

"Sister,  do  you  know  what  I  think  he  came 
for?  It  was  to  get  aunt  to  do  something  for 
him.  I  saw  a  coat  that  looked  like  his  clothes 
look,  that  she  was  putting  new  buttons  on." 

Another  sting!  The  young  girl  bit  her  lips. 
"Well,  dear,  I  suppose  it  was  for  something  of 
that  kind.  I  don't  suppose  young  Mr.  Dezevolos 
calls  on  aunt — socially."  And  Alberta  wished 
that  she  was  back  again  in  her  own  West,  where 
small  distinctions  of  this  kind  are  not  so 
important.  "There's  a  big  horse-chestnut  tree, 
Dotty.  You  can  pick  up  some  of  the  nuts  to 
play  with." 

"Are  they  good  to  eat?"  There  was  an  eager- 
ness in  her  voice  that  made  the  elder  sister  look 
closely  at  the  child.  Was  she  mistaken,  or  was 
little  Dotty  not  looking  as  plump  as  usual?  She 
was  a  rather  delicate  child,  who  had  always  been 
used  to  exquisite  care  in  the  way  of  nourish- 
ment. Alberta  had  been  an  excellent  mother  to 
her,  having  assumed  almost  entire  charge  of  her 
since  her  second  year.  In  less  than  a  fortnight 

5  55 


LIBERTY   HALL 

she  seemed  to  have  grown  paler,  despite  the 
splendid  air  of  the  hills.  Affection  quickly  took 
alarm,  and  the  momentary  vexation  about 
clothes  and  appearance  was  forgotten  as  Al- 
berta began  to  think  out  ways  and  means 
of  providing  Dotty  with  the  comforts  she 
needed. 

"I'll  have  to  find  some  way  of  making  money, 
darling.  I  can't  have  you  starving  on  aunt's 
corn  pone  and  hominy.  I  don't  mind  it  myself, 
but  you  are  growing,  and  ought  to  have  other 
sorts  of  food."  Alberta  had  become  wise  in  the 
matter  of  the  chemistry  of  foods  since  she  had 
been  obliged  to  order  the  little  household  in  her 
father's  home,  and  he  had  frequently  commended 
her  sense  and  discretion. 

"I  do  hate  hominy,  sister.  Why  doesn't  she 
have  oatmeal  with  cream,  as  we  had  at  home? 
Martha  says  she  ought  to  have  cream,  but  she 
sold  her  cow,  and  only  buys  milk  now.  Martha 
says  she  doesn't  care  about  anything  but 
chickens." 

"She  keeps  them  to  sell  eggs,  I  guess.  There 
is  a  lot  of  money  in  it,  probably."  And  Alberta 
fell  into  a  brown  study  which  Dotty  did  not 
disturb.  It  was  plain  to  the  girl  that  Mrs. 
Knight  not  only  regarded  her  two  nieces  as  in- 
terlopers, but  that  she  had  a  real  animosity 

56 


LIBERTY    HALL 

toward  them.  Why?  It  would  have  been  rea- 
sonable to  expect  kindness  and  consideration  in 
return  for  all  that  their  father  had  done  for  his 
half-sister.  But,  anyway,  since  there  was  no 
friend  here  to  help  out,  she  must  learn  to  depend 
only  on  herself. 

As  she  walked  along  she  took  out  her  little 
purse  and  counted  its  contents,  then  entered  a 
grocery-store  and  invested  in  a  bag  of  apples  and 
a  box  of  sweet  biscuits,  purchases  which  Dotty 
regarded  affectionately.  The  storekeeper  added 
a  fine  bunch  of  grapes  as  a  gift. 

"It's  better  to  be  born  lucky  than  rich," 
laughed  Alberta,  as  they  took  a  side-street  so 
that  the  child  might  eat  her  grapes.  "This 
morning  Martha  gave  you  a  cooky  and  now 
the  storekeeper  gives  you  this  nice  bunch  of 
grapes." 

"Yes,  and  yesterday  Clary  gave  me  some 
taffy,"  observed  Dotty,  contentedly. 

Alberta  made  a  little  grimace.  "Microbes, 
I'm  afraid." 

"What's  that?" 

"Does  Clarissa  ever  get  her  face  and  hands 
washed?  I  suppose  she  wouldn't  know  a  bath 
by  name." 

"  She  hasn't  any  mother;  only  a  grandmother. 
And  her  granny  goes  out  washing  and  ironing, 

57 


LIBERTY    HALL 

and  Clary  has  to  take  care  of  herself  all  day  long, 
all  the  time  she  isn't  in  school." 

Alberta  privately  revolved  a  scheme  to  get 
Martha  to  give  Miss  Clarissa  a  bath,  and  then 
to  clothe  her  in  an  outgrown  suit  of  Dotty's 
which  had  gotten  into  the  trunk  by  accident.  It 
would  be  fun  to  turn  that  bunch  of  dirt  and  rags 
into  the  semblance  of  respectability.  But  an- 
other idea,  which  had  suddenly  popped  into  her 
head  in  the  store,  so  absorbed  her  that  she  came 
near  passing  a  group  of  her  schoolmates  with- 
out speaking,  and  was  only  recalled  to  her  duty 
by  a  timely  nudge  from  the  more  observant 
Dotty.  They  were  all  dainty,  happy,  and 
noisy,  and  evidently  on  the  way  to  some  amuse- 
ment. Alberta  resolved  never  to  go  out  another 
Saturday  afternoon  in  her  old  clothes.  There 
was  to  be  no  more  freedom  to  run  around,  care- 
less and  thoughtless,  on  holidays,  esteemed  and 
liked  without  regard  to  her  outer  appearance, 
as  among  her  old  friends. 

"If  I'd  had  any  sense  I'd  have  remembered 
that  first  impressions  are  important,"  she 
scolded  herself;  "and  have  dolled  up  when  I 
ran  the  risk  of  being  criticized.  Well,  I'll  know 
another  time.  But  I  suppose  the  crowd  has  set 
me  down  now  as  a  hopeless  dowdy." 

As  soon  as  she  could,  Alberta  had  a  private 
58 


LIBERTY   HALL 

conference  with  Martha;  not  about  Clarissa, 
but  about  that  other  idea.  The  black  woman's 
face  became  wreathed  in  smiles  as  she  heard  it, 
and  she  poked  the  young  lady  in  the  ribs  as  she 
chuckled: 

"  Laws,  Miss  Alberta,  but  you  mus'  be  funnin* 
— you  to  go  to  raisin'  chickens,  now.  Did  any- 
body ever  hear  the  likes  o'  that?" 

"Broilers  for  Dotty,"  said  Alberta,  resolutely. 
"You  will  help  me  out,  won't  you?" 

"I  sartainly  will,"  said  the  old  woman,  em- 
phatically. She  reflected  awhile,  then  added, 
while  she  clapped  her  hands  lightly  together: 
"I  knows  just  what  we's  goin*  to  do,  honey. 
We'll  set  old  Bet." 

"Set  old  Bet?" 

"'Zactly  that.  She's  that  white  hen  you 
hear  cluckin*  round  this  very  minute,  out  thar 
in  the  yard.  Now,  miss,  you  'ain't  no  call  to 
wait  for  them'ere  chickens  Bet  '11  hatch  out  for 
you  to  grow  up-*-\  '11  guarantee  to  sell  'm  all  for 
you  just  as  soon  as  they're  two  weeks  old.  I 
knows  the  pusson  '11  buy  'em  off  me.  We'll  put 
'bout  eighteen  eggs  under  her  and  she'll  give  'em 
every  one  back  to  you — good,  healthy  chickens. 
She's  the  best  mother  hen  Mrs.  Knight's  got. 
Yo'  aunt's  done  tried  to  break  her  o'  settin'  this 
month  and  mo*.  Bet's  got  a  will  o'  her  own." 

59 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Why  doesn't  aunt  set  her,  then?" 

"Just  contrariness,"  answered  Martha,  medi- 
tatively. "But  of  course  we  mustn't  let  Mrs. 
Knight  know  what  we's  doin'.  I'm  a-thinkin' 
how  we'll  keep  it  dark." 

"I  hardly  know  whether  I  ought  to  do  it. 
After  all,  it's  her  hen." 

"Don't  you  worry  yo'self  'bout  that,  now, 
Miss  Alberta.  You's  only  goin'  to  borrow  the 
hen.  And  if  you  choose  to  just  take  her  and 
make  potpie  o'  her,  I  don't  know  who's  got  a 
better  right.  Thisyere  property  belonged  to 
yo'  pa,  honey.  'Ain't  you  got  no  pusson  you 
could  get  to  fight  out  yo'  rights,  now?" 

"No,"  said  Alberta,  forlornly.  "But  I  don't 
want  to  fight  a  relation,  anyway,  Martha.  All 
I  want  is  for  aunt  to  get  along  peaceably  with 
us.  Why  doesn't  she  like  us?" 

"Just  'cause  she's  that  cross-grained  and  pe- 
culiar, honey.  Laws!  most  pussons  has  done 
gone  given  up  try  in'  to  get  along  with  yo'  aunt. 
Take  it  easy,  now.  Don'  fret.  But  'bout  old 
Bet.  Honey,  hush  now!  I's  got  it  for  shore!" 
The  old  woman  doubled  up  with  laughter  as 
she  pointed  mysteriously  to  the  window  of  the 
garret  chamber.  It  was  about  dusk  Sunday 
evening,  and  Mrs.  Knight  had  gone  to  evening 
service  at  a  little  chapel  on  the  outskirts  of  the 

60 


LIBERTY   HALL 

town,   where  the  doctrine  was  more 
liking  than  that  of  the  regular  church. 

"What?"  asked  Alberta,  staring. 

"Thar!  We'll  just  put  old  Bet  up  thar  out 
o'  the  way  till  she  gets  her  brood  nicely  hatched. 
She'll  be  all  right  up  thar.  I'll  fetch  her  grain 
and  water,  nights,  and  you'll  see!" 

"Never  heard  of  such  a  thing  in  my  life  as 
hiding  a  setting  hen  in  a  garret.  Won't  she 
screech?" 

"  'Sposin'  she  do.  Mrs.  Knight's  room  is  'way 
off,  ain't  it?  An'  some  o*  the  chickens  is  always 
screechin'.  She  won't  pay  no  attention.  If  you 
wants  to  get  yo'self  them  broilers  I  don't  see  no 
other  way,  honey." 

So  Alberta  consented  to  this  novel  proposal. 
The  next  night,  Martha  having  bought  the  right 
sort  of  eggs,  for  which  Alberta  had  given  her  the 
money,  the  pair  waited  until  all  was  silent 
about  the  house  and  Mrs.  Knight,  as  well  as 
Dotty,  peacefully  sleeping,  and  then  they  crept, 
like  conspirators,  out  into  the  yard,  to  climb 
up  the  stairway  that  ascended  to  the  garret. 
This  outside  stairway,  being  very  old,  was 
dilapidated  and  rickety,  but  Martha  confi- 
dently climbed  it,  with  a  light  step.  In  her 
apron  she  had  an  object  that  wriggled  and 
squawked. 

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LIBERTY    HALL 

"You  hold  the  candle,  now,  whilst  I  gets  her 
settled,"  whispered  Martha  to  Alberta,  who  had 
paused  half-way  up  the  stairway.  And  the  girl 
obediently  shielded  it  with  her  hand  while  the 
experienced  old  woman  carefully  deposited  her 
burden  on  a  nest  of  straw  which  she  had  pre- 
viously filled  with  snowy  eggs.  Bet  immediately 
jumped  off,  made  a  great  splutter,  perhaps  to 
show  her  indignation  at  having  her  long-declared 
wish  gratified  at  last,  then  picked  at  the  eggs  a 
bit  with  her  bill;  at  last,  with  one  final  croak, 
she  sat  comfortably  down  on  them  and,  stretch- 
ing out  her  neck,  snapped  her  little  eyes  to 
warn  them  away. 

"She'll  do"  observed  Martha,  contentedly. 
"Now  to  get  down  again,  Miss  Alberta." 

"Do  you  always  have  to  use  this  stairway? 
I  thought  there  was  another  leading  from  the 
kitchen." 

''That  old  ladder?  'Tain't  fitten  for  nobody. 
I  showed  it  to  little  Dotty,  but  I  done  told  her 
never  to  climb  up  it  'lessen  I  was  by.  No,  miss; 
this  is  the  best.  Be  keerful,  now!" 

She  went  first  herself,  and  landed  safely  in  the 
yard.  But  Alberta  was  heavier,  and,  her  foot 
slipping  on  a  loose  board,  down  she  went  to 
the  bottom  of  the  stairway. 

"Good  Lawd  save  us,  honey,  is  you  killed?" 
62 


LIBERTY    HALL 

screamed  old  Martha,  forgetting  all  need  of 
caution. 

Alberta  righted  herself  and  laughed.  "No, 
just  a  bit  shaken  up.  It  would  take  more  than 
a  fall  down  these  few  stairs  to  kill  me.  But  that 
stairway  ought  to  be  mended,  Martha." 

"They's  a  lot  o'  things  had  ought  to  be  done, 
miss,  'bout  thisyere  place.  But,  some  way,  the 
older  yo'  aunt  gets  the  nearer  she  gets.  Seems 
like  she  fairly  grudges  the  money  for  anything, 
these  days.  You'd  ought  to  have  seen  the  place 
in  yo'  grandma's  days." 

"Well,  I  wish  I  had.  But,  really,  couldn't  we 
get  the  steps  mended  ourselves,  Martha?  I'm 
afraid  one  of  us  will  break  her  neck,  now  we 
have  to  use  them." 

"Maybe  young  Mr.  Gilpatrick  might  send 
somebody  to  do  it  for  you.  He's  in  his  uncle's 
shop,  right  off  Simpson  Street." 

But  at  that  suggestion  Alberta  shook  her  head. 


CHAPTER  V 

WHEN  Alberta  entered  the  hall  of  the 
Academy  Monday  morning  she  was  met 
with  effusion  by  Hannah,  and  reminded  that  she 
was  now  a  member  of  the  Young  Folks'  Club. 
It  was  pleasant  to  talk  about,  and  made  her  feel 
that  she  was  received  by  Elmville  people  as 
one  of  themselves. 

"The  next  meeting  is  at  Gladys's  house,"  said 
Hannah,  with  some  uneasiness.  She  wished  that 
it  had  been  otherwise;  but  it  happened  to  be 
the  turn  of  Gladys  to  receive,  and,  anyway, 
whether  she  liked  the  new  member  or  not,  she 
would  necessarily  be  polite  to  her  in  her  own 
house. 

'These  regular  meetings  take  place  every  two 
weeks,"  explained  Hannah.  "But  there  are 
ever  so  many  other  good  times.  While  the  nice 
weather  lasts  we  have  tennis  Saturday  after- 
noons. Can  you  play?" 

"A  little,"  was  the  modest  answer,  but  Al- 
berta smiled.  She  was  considered  a  champion 

64 


LIBERTY    HALL 

player  at  home,  and  fairly  ached  with  impatience 
to  get  into  her  tennis  clothes  again.  It  was  the 
day  of  stiff,  high  collars,  and  she  had  made  a 
sacrifice  to  conventionality  this  morning  by  en- 
veloping her  neck  in  a  collar  that  was  starched 
and  scratchy.  It  made  the  idea  of  her  com- 
fortable white  blouse  maddening  by  contrast. 
She  wondered  why  girls  had  to  do  violence  to 
their  inclinations  by  putting  on  these  fashionable 
things,  anyway.  But  since  she  had  seen  last 
week  that  every  other  girl  except  herself  wrig- 
gled in  a  high  collar,  she  had  found  the  one  she 
usually  wore  only  on  Sundays,  and  had  put  her 
unwilling  neck  into  it.  However,  it  irritated  her ; 
and  perhaps  Gladys  was  not  so  far  out  of  the 
way  this  time  when  she  whispered  to  Carrie  to 
notice  what  a  disagreeable  expression  Miss  Dic- 
tionary wore  when  she  turned  her  eyes  in  their 
direction. 

Hannah  had  certainly  taken  more  than  an 
ordinary  fancy  to  Alberta.  She  took  her  off  to 
a  private  corner  at  recess  and  began  one  of  those 
interminable  confidences  that  girls  who  are  in 
sympathy  with  one  another  can  always  begin 
at  short  notice.  As  it  was  interrupted  by  the 
bell  she  invited  Alberta  to  her  house  that 
evening. 

"There  are  fifty  things  I'm  just  longing  to  tell 

65 


LIBERTY    HALL 

you,  dear.  Do  come,  now.  Little  muv  is  just 
the  sweetest  thing  in  the  world,  and  I  want  you 
to  meet  her.  She  gives  us  all  such  good  times. 
And  you're  to  share  them  with  us.  Remember, 
Dick,  honey,  I'm  your  best  friend.  Don't  let 
anybody  cut  in  between  us!" 

"No  danger.  I  don't  think  I'm  cut  out  for 
a  popular  character.  If  the  girls  here  are  nice 
to  me  it  will  probably  be  on  your  account.  I 
guess  I'm  too  decided.  Dad  always  called  me 
his  boy.  He  taught  me  to  ride,  shoot,  and  do 
things  boys  do,  and  that  has  made  me  sort  of 
independent,  you  know.  Now  you  girls  are  so 
very  womanish.  Please  don't  think  I'm  criti- 
cizing," she  added,  quickly,  as  Hannah  colored; 
"I  think  you  are  all  lovely.  But  you  make  me 
seem  rather  rough,  by  contrast." 

"Rough!  You  rough?  What  nonsense!  I 
admire  that  strong,  sensible  way  of  yours," 
answered  Hannah,  the  romantic.  "Why,  Al- 
berta, you  know  more  than  any  of  us  about 
books.  I  think  you're  going  to  be  the  shining 
light  of  the  class  in  rhetoric  and  history.  Oh, 
I  must  tell  you  something:  Roy  Dezevolos  told 
us  he  had  met  you  when  he  went  to  your  house 
on  an  errand  the  other  day,  and  that  you  were 
just  the  frankest,  sweetest-mannered  girl  he  had 
met  in  a  long  time.  There,  now!" 

66 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Praise  from  Sir  Hubert,"  said  Alberta,  col- 
oring in  her  turn.  She  sometimes  puzzled  Han- 
nah by  such  quotations,  and  the  less  well-read 
girls  looked  up  immensely  to  this  superior, 
knowledge  of  books. 

Hannah  was  an  overgrown,  awkward  girl  of 
fifteen,  with  great,  gray  eyes  and  thin,  fair  hair; 
but  her  slightly  drawling  voice  had  a  ring  in  it 
that  made  her  obeyed  by  others,  young  as  she 
was,  and  showed  something  within  her  that  was 
to  develop  into  remarkable  strength  of  charac- 
ter later  in  life.  She  was  somewhat  given  to 
taking  violent  fancies  to  others,  at  this  period 
of  her  existence,  and,  being  impulsive,  she  would 
have  preferred  to  see  more  enthusiasm  in  her 
new  friend  about  their  relations.  But  Alberta, 
stanch  and  true  when  once  her  affection  had 
been  gained,  was  slow  to  kindle.  Much  as  she 
appreciated  Hannah's  goodness  to  her,  she 
wanted  to  see  more  of  her  before  taking  her 
completely  into  her  heart.  Another  thing  made 
her  draw  back  slightly  from  intimacy :  her  aunt 
would,  she  felt  sure,  be  inhospitable  to  any 
guest  of  her  niece;  she  had  not  the  privilege  of 
making  her  home  pleasant  for  her  friends,  and 
so  she  felt  that  invitations  must  be  accepted 
with  caution.  Nothing  galled  her  more  than 
this,  because  during  her  father's  life  she  had 

67 


LIBERTY    HALL 

been  used  to  an  uncalculating  hospitality;  and 
having  heard  much  of  the  open,  cordial  ways  of 
Southerners,  she  had  been  ready  to  follow  their 
example  in  this  respect. 

41  I'll  come  over  if  I  can,  thank  you,"  she  said, 
slowly.  "But  I  study  evenings,  Hannah.  Per- 
haps we  could  take  a  walk  together  this  after- 
noon, instead?  I'd  love  to  meet  your  mother, 
and  see  you  all  at  home,  but  maybe — "  she 
looked  down  reflectively  at  her  simple  black 
dress,  and  hesitated. 

Hannah  was  quick  to  catch  her  meaning. 
"Now,  honey,  don't  be  a  goose.  Of  course,  if 
you  must  study,  I'll  wait  till  Friday  evening. 
But  you  don't  get  out  of  it  on  any  shallow  pre- 
text. All  of  us  at  our  house  are  the  simplest 
sort  of  people.  Just  every-day  folks,  you  know. 
Wait  till  you  see  little  muv — then  you'll  know." 

It  was  arranged  that  Hannah  should  have  a 
visit  Friday  evening  if  Martha  could  be  coaxed 
to  stay  with  Dotty,  for  Alberta  firmly  declined 
to  let  the  child  go  put  at  night.  She  had  ideas 
about  hygiene.  Dotty's  altered  looks  had  be- 
gun to  worry  her.  That  afternoon,  instead  of 
going  for  a  walk,  she  played  with  the  child  in 
the  back  yard,  to  keep  her  out  of  doors  where 
she  could  look  after  her.  A  big  box  was  found 
and  cleaned  to  make  a  doll-house.  Dotty  de- 

68 


LIBERTY    HALL 

lightedly  got  out  her  doll  family — father,  mother, 
boy,  and  two  little  girl  dolls,  with  a  baby  in 
short  clothes,  just  beginning  to  walk,  and  the 
sisters,  the  elder  almost  as  much  interested  as 
the  little  one,  went  to  work  to  arrange  different 
rooms  and  furnish  them. 

Making  a  doll-house  is  fascinating  labor,  but 
it  opens  out  possibilities  from  minute  to  minute, 
and  in  a  short  time  it  was  found  that  one  floor 
would  not  do  at  all;  there  must  be  a  shelf  put 
in  the  box,  to  form  an  upper  story.  A  clean 
piece  of  board  was  found.  But  there  were  no 
nails  anywhere,  nor  was  there  either  saw;  or 
hammer. 

"I  should  think  aunt  would  keep  a  tool-box," 
said  Alberta,  discontentedly,  sitting  back  on  the 
porch  step  and  biting  her  lip  in  annoyance  at 
the  limitations  of  her  materials. 

At  this  moment  a  small,  silvery  voice  spoke 
from  the  fence-hole:  "Miss  Alberta,  I  knows 
whar  you  kin  git  nails — a  nickel's  wuth,  and 
they'll  lend  you  a  hammer,  too,  if  you  ask." 

Alberta  wheeled  to  see  their  "nighest  neigh- 
bor" at  her  roost,  spying  on  the  actions  of  the 
persons  whose  movements  deeply  interested  her. 

"  Chandler's  carpenter-shop,"  nodded  Clarissa, 
and  Dotty  at  once  looked  pleadingly  at  her 
sister. 

69 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Will  you,  sister?" 

"Now  that's  a  nice  idea!  Going  to  a  car- 
penter's shop  for  a  nickel's  worth  of  nails  and 
asking  for  a  saw  and  hammer!  It's  like  the 
Irishman  that  asked  for  a  pipe  and  tobacco  be- 
cause he  had  a  match." 

Dotty  hardly  appreciated  this,  and  Clarissa 
continued  to  nod  like  a  Chinese  mandarin,  and 
repeat  that  "they  had  plenty  o'  nails,  and  that's 
whar  eve'body  gits  'em. 

'"Tain't  far!"  she  added. 

Alberta  glanced  down  at  her  dress.  It  was 
neat  enough  to  go  out  on  such  an  errand.  The 
spirit  of  adventure  woke  within  her  and  her 
eyes  sparkled  with  fun. 

"Well,  I  guess  I'll  have  to  go.  Don't  you 
and'  Clarissa  get  into  any  mischief  while  I'm 
gone,  will  you?"  She  got  up,  shook  down  her 
skirt,  and  gave  her  hair  a  few  dabs  with  her 
fingers. 

Of  course  both  children  promised  to  be  as 
good  as  possible,  so  she  slowly  walked  out  of 
the  yard  and  down  the  street,  a  smile  on  her 
face,  and  the  little  silver  purse  she  always 
carried  in  her  pocket — now  woefully  slim — in 
her  hand.  Chandler's  carpenter-shop  was  really 
only  about  half  a  dozen  blocks  away,  as  city 
distances  measure,  and  she  found  herself  there 

70 


LIBERTY    HALL 

in  three  minutes.  The  only  person  she  saw  inside 
was  a  small  boy,  who  scowled  at  her  request  for 
nails. 

"  You'd  better  go  to  the  grocery-store,"  he 
said,  saucily. 

"See  here,  young  man,"  said  Alberta,  aroused, 
"I  was  told  to  come  here.  I  want  steel  nails, 
— assorted.  Please  give  them  to  me  or  call 
some  one  else." 

A  young  man  who  had  been  busy  in  a  rear 
room  with  a  turning-lathe  now  appeared.  He 
was  at  least  six  feet  tall,  and  had  the  loose,  wiry 
build  of  a  genuine  Kentuckian,  and  the  blond 
type  of  the  Saxon.  He  also  had  a  business-like 
air,  and  he  accosted  the  boy  with  severity. 

"Bill  Simms,  if  you  haven't  any  manners, 
I'll  have  to  teach  you  some.  Get  those  nails 
now  for  the  young  lady,  and  quick.  Do  you  hear? 
Or  rather,  you  go  pick  up  those  shavings  and 
put  the  table  in  order.  I'll  get  the  nails  myself." 

He  picked  out  a  handful  of  shining  nails, 
nicely  assorted,  then,  after  another  keen  look 
at  Alberta,  sought  for  a  bag.  But  when  she 
tendered  her  nickel,  bashfully  now,  he  smiled  in 
a  delightfully  frank,  manly  way,  and  shook  his 
head. 

"Not  worth  talking  about.  And  unless  I'm 
mistaken,  you  are  a  neighbor.  Don't  you  live 

6  71 


LIBERTY    HALL 

at  the  Knight  house?  I'm  glad  to  oblige  you. 
Isn't  there  anything  else  I  can  do  for  you?" 

"Certainly,"  said  Alberta,  with  mock  candor. 
"I'm  building  a  little  house.  Maybe  you'd  be 
willing  to  do  all  the  work  for  me?  Do  excuse 
me,"  she  added,  hastily,  as  he  widened  a  pair 
of  bright,  gray  eyes.  "I  was  only  joking,  of 
course.  I'm  really  building  a  doll-house  for  my 
little  sister.  Yes,  I  live  at  the  Knight  house, 
and  I'm  Alberta  Lewis.  It  seems  to  me  I  never 
have  a  regular  introduction  to  anybody  around 
here.  We  always  meet  by  chance.  You  are — 
Mr.  Gilpatrick,  I  guess?" 

"John  Gilpatrick,"  answered  that  personage, 
announcing  himself  with  a  sort  of  bashful  man- 
liness she  thought  very  pleasant.  He  was  rather 
plain,  but  so  altogether  different  from  his  sister 
that  Alberta  was  ready  to  like  him  at  sight.  "I 
think  I  saw  you  at  church  Sunday.  And  I  bet 
you  are  going  to  belong  to  the  society  my  sister 
belongs  to.  All  of  the  most  interesting  girls  and 
fellows  belong.  Great  times  they  have.  It 
meets  at  our  house  next  week.  Then  we'll  be 
properly  introduced." 

"Member?"  questioned  Alberta,  quite  at 
home  with  him  now,  used  as  she  had  always 
been  to  being  chummy  with  boys. 

"Only  half  a  member.  Pay  my  dues,  though." 
72 


LIBERTY    HALL 

His  eyes  twinkled,  and  he  did  not  notice  Al- 
berta's little  start.  She  had  altogether  forgotten 
the  probability  of  there  being  dues  to  pay.  She 
jingled  the  few  coins  in  her  purse  and  thought 
of  the  furniture  money  with  anxiety.  Maybe  it 
would  come  before  next  week. 

"I  must  run  back!"  Her  eyes  had  accident- 
ally caught  a  glimpse  of  a  row  of  dear  little  saws 
on  the  wall,  and  John,  following  her  gaze, 
guessed  that  she  would  like  to  have  one  of  these 
useful  instruments.  He  had  something  of  an 
idea  that  the  available  tools  in  the  Knight 
household  would  be  rusty  and  clumsy.  Turn- 
ing rather  more  quickly  than  he  was  wont  to 
move,  he  took  down  the  smaller  saw  and  held 
it  out  to  her. 

"Do  you  keep  them  to  lend?  How  con- 
fiding you  are.  Maybe  you  will  never  get  it 
back." 

"  Then  I'll  come  after  it,"  he  nodded.  "  Give 
me  a  good  excuse  to  criticize  the  doll-house.  By 
the  way,  I've  some  little  blocks  that  may  come 
in  useful.  Won't  you  come  again  and  bring 
your  little  sister  so  she  can  pick,  out  what  she 
would  like?"  And  he  showed  a  stock  of  pretty 
little  mahogany  bits  of  odd  shapes. 

"Lovely!  I  didn't  know  carpentry  was  such 
pretty  work.  It's  awfully  good  of  you  to  give 

73 


LIBERTY    HALL 

things  like  these  away.  Dotty  will  just  love 
them.  I'll  bring  her — to-morrow." 

"You  needn't  hurry  about  the  saw.  We've 
got  plenty  of  them,"  said  John,  as  he  opened  the 
door  for  her.  And  she  went  back  thinking  what 
nice  manners  he  had,  although  he  probably  had 
but  little  education.  How  had  it  come  about 
that  the  only  son  of  a  man  as  rich  as  Gladys's 
father  was  only  a  workman,  when  he  could  have 
gone  to  college  and  studied  a  profession?  He 
looked  like  an  intelligent  fellow;  and  the  sister 
certainly  prided  herself  on  taking  lessons  in  all 
the  accomplishments  that  the  other  girls  of  her 
' '  set ' '  were  learning. 

"How  unlike  a  brother  and  sister  can  be," 
thought  Alberta,  as  she  entered  the  gate  of  the 
Knight  yard  and  waved  the  little  saw  to  Dotty 
to  indicate  her  good  luck. 

The  doll-house  proceeded  famously  now,  and 
when  done  was  pronounced  splendid  by  the  en- 
thusiastic little  owner.  Clarissa,  from  the 
fence-hole,  vociferated  her  admiration,  and  was 
finally  invited  to  come  in  and  play  with  Dotty, 
if  she  would  keep  her  hands  off  the  dolls,  who 
were  all  clean  and  fresh  in  their  best  clothes. 
Alberta  had  put  two  shelves  in  the  box  and 
papered  the  walls  with  some  gold  and  silver 
paper  that  she  had  found  among  her  possessions. 

74 


LIBERTY    HALL 

She  also  brought  down  her  best  desk  ornament, 
a  silver-topped  stamp-box,  to  be  used  as  a 
dining-room  chest.  Parlor  chairs  and  a  table 
Dotty  had,  but  the  bedrooms  had  to  be  patched 
up  from  all  sorts  of  makeshifts,  and  Clarissa  was 
fertile  in  suggestions,  her  mind  running  chiefly 
on  "four-poster"  bedsteads,  like  the  one  Mar- 
tha had — an  object  of  the  small  darky's  con- 
stant envy,  for  she  slept  in  a  "trundle."  She 
tried  to  make  a  four-poster  from  a  brick,  with 
wooden  blocks  for  legs;  then  from  a  little  iron 
skillet  that  belonged  to  the  kitchen  furniture, 
covering  it  with  rags.  This  piece  of  ingenuity 
Dotty  rejected  with  some  indignation,  stating 
that  a  bed  should  be  covered  only  with  a  white 
spread,  and  appealing  to  her  sister  for 
confirmation. 

"I  must  go  and  do  some  studying,"  said 
Alberta,  and  left  the  two  together,  while  she 
seated  herself  in  an  ancient  swing  at  a  little 
distance  with  her  books. 

She  was  taking  the  academic  course,  but  with 
all  the  college  preparatory  studies  she  could 
manage,  with  the  vague  but  strong  hope  that 
something  might  yet  turn  up  to  enable  her  to 
go  to  college.  But  she  had  barely  got  inter- 
ested in  Sir  Roger  de  Coverly,  which  was  one  of 
the  books  for  extra  reading  in  her  course,  when 

75 


LIBERTY    HALL 

a  smell  of  smoke  and  two  shrieks  brought  her 
back  to  the  present  and  an  emergency  in  the 
yard. 

Springing  out  of  the  swing,  she  ran  around 
the  house  and  saw  the  two  children  battling 
with  a  small  fire.  The  doll-house  was  blazing 
merrily,  and  while  Clarissa  wailed  and  blessed 
herself,  rocking  back  and  forth  like  a  demented 
monkey,  Dotty  was  courageously  running  to  the 
pump  and  back  with  a  little  tin  dipper,  dashing 
the  thimbleful  of  water  on  the  fire,  while  the 
tears  coursed  down  her  cheeks  over  the  plight  of 
the  dear  dolls  sitting  inside  the  blazing  house. 

"Take  care!"  shouted  Alberta,  pulling  the 
child  away.  Hastily  looking  around,  she  saw  an 
old  piece  of  carpet  on  the  clothes-line.  To  get  it 
down  and  throw  it  over  the  box  was  the  work 
of  an  instant.  Then  she  sought  and  found  a 
bucket,  conveniently  standing  outside  the  kitch- 
en door,  and  filling  it  at  the  pump,  deluged 
the  smoldering  conflagration.  The  danger  was 
past,  but  the  doll-house  was  a  ruin.  Luckily, 
the  dolls  themselves  were  not  destroyed,  being 
of  plaster  of  Paris  and  wood,  but  their  clothing 
was  charred  beyond  recognition. 

Dotty  clasped  to  her  breast  the  rescued  brass- 
faced  doll  and  the  brave  little  boy  doll,  whose 
stout  blue  cloth  suit  had  been  slightly  damaged, 

76 


LIBERTY    HALL 

and  wept  over  the  corpses  of  the  baby  and  little 
sister.  While  Alberta  consoled  her  with  prom- 
ises she  hardly  dared  make,  but  resolved,  never- 
theless, to  keep,  she  inquired  into  the  origin  of 
the  fire.  Dotty  looked  at  Clarissa,  too  loyal 
to  accuse  her,  but  expecting  her  to  own  up  to 
her  sin.  Clarissa,  however,  looked  the  picture 
of  innocence. 

"Dun'no',  Miss  Alberta,  'deed  and  double' 
deed,  I  didn't  do  nothin'.  Must  'a*  come  o'  a 
spark  outn  the  kitchen  chimbly." 

"Dotty,"  asked  Alberta,  severely,  "were  you 
playing  with  matches?" 

Dotty  hung  her  head,  without  reply.  Of 
course  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  send  her 
up  to  her  room  to  reflect  on  her  disobedience,  as 
she  had  been  forbidden  in  the  strictest  manner 
to  meddle  with  these  dangerous  and  fascinating 
things.  Then,  having  cleaned  up  the  mess  the 
fire  had  made,  and  thrown  away  the  blackened 
doll-house  she  had  taken  so  much  pains  to  make, 
Alberta  frowned  a  little  over  her  spoiled  stamp- 
box,  and  returned  to  her  books  with  a  ruffled 
mind. 

"A  wasted  afternoon,"  she  reflected.  "Poor 
little  Dotty!  I  wonder  whether  that  Clarissa 
wasn't  to  blame?  It's  just  like  Dotty  to  take 
it  on  herself  rather  than  to  have  me  pitch  onto 

77 


LIBERTY    HALL 

the  darky,  as  I  probably  should  have  done. 
Oh  dear,  if  I  had  mended  the  steps  with  that 
handful  of  nails  instead  of  trying  to  amuse  the 
child  she  would  have  her  doll  furniture  yet  and 
not  be  crying  up-stairs.  But  that's  mean  of  me. 
I  must  contrive  some  way  to  get  her  some  new 
toys.  I  just  know  that  monkey  of  a  Clarissa  was 
to  blame!" 


CHAPTER  VI 

¥  IKE  many  old  Southern  houses,  the  Knight 
L/  house  had  a  real  kitchen,  off  a  passage  from 
the  dining-room,  and  another  kitchen,  formerly 
given  over  to  rougher  usages,  farther  off,  at- 
tached to  the  main  house  by  a  covered  "gallery  " 
or  porch.  Over  this  latter  part  of  the  building 
was  the  great  garret  where  Martha  had  installed 
the  hen  upon  her  nestful  of  eggs.  Under  ordi- 
nary circumstances  there  was  very  small  chance 
that  Mrs.  Knight  would  ever  hear  or  see  any- 
thing of  old  Bet,  who  was  cared  for  with  great 
solicitude  by  the  colored  woman.  But  accidents 
happen. 

One  night  the  good  lady  woke  with  a  severe 
cold,  and  all  her  symptoms  pointed  to  a  dose  of 
boneset  tea.  The  herb  was  kept  in  the  garret; 
so,  with  a  lighted  candle  in  hand  and  enveloped 
in  a  warm  wrapper,  she  made  the  tour  of  the 
two  kitchens,  and  slowly  proceeded  to  climb  up 
that  ladder  which  she  had  feared  to  try  since 
the  fall  of  last  summer. 

79 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Now  a  setting  hen  has  nerves;  so  when  old 
Bet  perceived  a  tall,  gray-clad  form  mounting 
into  her  sanctuary  through  a  hole  in  the  floor, 
she  stretched  out  her  lean  head  and  gave  an 
unearthly  screech. 

"  Lord  have  mercy  on  us,  what's  that?"  called 
the  widow,  her  feet  on  the  ladder,  and  her  body 
within  the  garret,  and  she  nearly  dropped  the 
candle.  But  she  was  a  courageous  woman,  so 
she  quickly  finished  her  ascent  and  stood  within 
the  big,  dim  room,  peering  about.  She  was 
positive  that  some  white  object  with  enormous 
wings  was  in  the  corner.  It  had  fiery  eyes  and 
glared  at  her  from  the  darkness.  She  could  feel 
that  terrifying  gaze  through  all  her  bones.  For 
a  moment  she  did  not  dare  to  move.  She 
thought  of  all  the  things  she  had  ever  done  in 
her  life,  or  so  it  seemed  to  her,  as  if  she  were 
drowning,  and  yet  the  experience  did  not  take 
a  minute.  She  confidently  expected  to  feel 
herself  whirled  up  into  the  air,  and  imagined 
that  her  candle  burned  blue.  But,  as  nothing 
happened,  her  usual  sharpness  returned  to  her 
and  she  began  to  realize  that  the  noises,  now 
more  subdued,  were  familiar. 

"Who  is  here?"  she  finally  asked,  although  in 
a  trembling  voice,  and  Bet  responded,  very 
crossly: 

So 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Cuck-a-too!  Get  out  of  here,  and  don't 
disturb  me  in  the  middle  of  the  night  after  this 
fashion!" 

"  It's  a  hen !"  exclaimed  the  widow,  and,  taking 
a  firmer  grasp  of  her  candlestick,  she  advanced 
toward  the  white  form  and  perceived  the  nest 
and  its  occupant. 

"For  goodness'  sake !  You  obstinate  old  thing ! 
Didn't  I  break  you  of  trying  to  set?  How  did 
you  get  up  here,  anyway?  And  as  I  live,  you've 
got  a  whole  lot  of  eggs!  I've  a  mind  to  hoist 
you  straight  off  'em,  that  I  have."  But  she 
avoided  touching  Bet,  after  all,  for  it  is  a  haz- 
ardous thing  to  fight  a  strong  old  hen  who  is 
determined  to  defend  her  eggs.  Moreover,  as 
Martha  said,  "It's  the  worst  kind  of  bad  luck 
to  trouble  a  setting  hen!" 

Mrs.  Knight  shook  her  head  many  times,  and 
repeated  that  she  had  never  in  her  born  days 
seen  anything  like  this;  then  she  went  over  to 
the  part  of  the  garret  where  the  herbs  were 
kept  and  supplied  herself  with  the  boneset. 

"  I  suppose  I'll  have  to  let  you  be,  since  you've 
got  up  here,"  she  told  Bet,  as  she  went  down  the 
ladder.  "But  I  don't  see,  to  save  me,  how  you 
ever  got  anything  to  eat  here,  unless  you're 
living  on  the  seeds.  To-morrow  I'll  put  all  them 
seeds  out  of  the  way.  Do  you  hear?  And  then 

81 


LIBERTY    HALL 

I  reckon  I'll  have  to  bring  corn  up  here  to  your 
majesty!  A  pretty  how-do-you-do,  ain't  it?" 

Alberta  heard  part  of  the  story  at  breakfast: 
how  one  of  the  hens  had  stolen  a  nest  in  the 
garret,  and  Dotty  wasn't  to  go  up  there  by  any 
chance,  since  Bet  must  now  have  her  time  out 
undisturbed. 

"That's  the  end  of  our  idea,"  the  girl  told 
Martha,  with  some  amusement  and  a  good  deal 
of  annoyance,  for  she  and  Martha  had  been 
confidently  counting  on  the  chickens. 

"Never  count  yo'  chickens  before  they's 
hatched,"  quoted  the  old  woman,  disconso- 
lately. "  Now  who  would  ever  'a'  supposed  Mrs. 
Knight  would  go  up  thar?  Don't  let  it  worry 
you  now,  honey.  Some  other  way  '11  be  pro- 
vided, you'll  see.  And  them  chickens  '11  never 
do  old  Mrs.  Knight  any  good,  noway.  Wish  to 
goodness  she'd  seen  a  real  ghost  up  thar  'stead 
o'  the  hen.  One  o'  these  days  a  speerit's  gwine 
'pear  to  her;  now,  you'll  see!" 

But  that  suggestion  did  not  help  Alberta  in 
her  present  difficulty.  Dotty  needed  new  shoes, 
for  the  yard  where  she  played  was  paved  with 
pebbles  and  they  were  hard  on  soles.  The 
weather  was  growing  colder  and  she  was  in  the 
habit  of  providing  clothing  for  winter  early  in 
the  fall.  Was  it  possible  that  they  would  have 

82 


LIBERTY    HALL 

to  make  out  with  the  things  they  had?  This 
was  being  poor  in  earnest.  For  the  first  time 
she  realized  what  it  meant  not  to  have  money. 
It  had  just  seemed,  at  first,  to  mean  restriction 
about  pocket-money,  not  about  necessities. 
What  in  the  world  was  she  to  do? 

"Of  course  that  hen  business  wouldn't  have 
helped  out  much,"  she  thought,  "but  it  might 
have  got  us  a  few  things.  Anyway,  now  that 
aunt  has  found  out  about  it,  she'll  have  the 
advantage,  not  us."  And  she  remembered  that 
the  eggs  had  been  bought  out  of  her  pocket  and 
thought  things  had  been  rather  hard  on  her. 

"I'll  go  to  the  post-office,  and  perhaps  the 
letter  from  Topeka  with  the  money  for  the  fur- 
niture may  be  there,"  she  thought,  and  took 
the  walk  directly  she  got  out  of  school.  Peering 
into  the  Knight  box,  she  saw  two  envelopes  and 
her  heart  beat  quicker  as  she  asked  the  clerk 
for  the  mail.  Both  were  for  herself,  but  a  dis- 
appointment awaited  her.  One  was  the  school 
bill  for  the  quarter  in  advance,  and  the  other  a 
bill  from  the  Young  Folks'  Club  for  initiation 
and  dues  amounting  to  three  dollars. 

"Oh  dear,"  murmured  poor  Alberta,  who  was 
having  some  of  the  experiences  of  grown-up 
people  before  her  time.  "Why  are  things  so 
contrary,  and  instead  of  getting  money  we 

83 


LIBERTY    HALL 

need,  why  do  I  have  bills  when  I  can't  pay 
them?" 

She  went  home  forlornly.  The  first  reception 
of  the  season  of  the  Young  Folks'  was  Friday 
evening  of  this  week,  at  the  house  of  Gladys, 
and  she  now  had  no  wish  to  go.  It  would  be 
mortifying,  she  imagined.  Of  all  people,  she 
dreaded  the  flippant  rich  girl,  with  her  re- 
splendant  clothes  and  way  of  looking  straight 
through  one.  Gladys  was  not  half  so  cruel  in 
her  criticism  as  Alberta  fancied,  but  when  one 
does  not  like  a  person  one  is  apt  to  believe  she 
is  on  the  lookout  for  every  defect ;  and  Alberta 
did  not  and  could  not  like  Gladys,  although  she 
tried  to  keep  her  prejudice  to  herself. 

Dotty  knew  all  about  the  coming  entertain- 
ment, for  the  elder  sister  always  talked  over 
everything  of  that  kind  with  the  little  one ;  and 
as  was  to  be  expected,  on  Friday  the  child  be- 
gan to  ask  what  Alberta  was  going  to  wear  that 
evening. 

"Dearie,  I  haven't  anything  to  wear,  and  I'm 
not  going,"  said  Alberta,  decidedly.  They  were 
in  their  room,  after  supper,  and  Dotty  had 
begun  eagerly  to  turn  over  things  in  the  bureau 
drawers.  She  loved  pretty  things,  and  expected 
to  see  her  sister  array  herself  in  her  white  gown 
and  sash. 

84 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Oh,  sister!   Your  white  dress?" 

"It  wouldn't  stand  much  show  beside  the 
gowns  the  other  girls  will  have  on,  dear.  Be- 
sides, I  don't  want  to  go.  I  don't  like  to  leave 
you  alone." 

"But  Martha  would  stay  with  me,  I  know, 
Alberta,  and  it's  nice  to  meet  all  those  girls," 
said  Dotty,  whose  social  instinct  was  strong. 

"Now,  baby,  you  know  you'd  rather  I  stayed 
with  you  and  told  you  the  story  of  the  little 
lame  prince?" 

"They  always  have  bonbons  at  Gladys's 
house,"  said  Dotty.  "I  know,  because  Alice 
Carter  says  so,  and  her  sister's  a  member  of  the 
club,  and  I  know  you'd  have  brought  me  home 
one,  Allie.  Oh,  how  long  it  is  now  since  we  had 
a  box  of  candy!  Do  you  suppose  aunt  would  let 
us  have  a  candy-pull  some  time?"  The  tone  was 
so  wistful  that  Alberta's  heart  ached  for  the 
child,  deprived  of  all  the  little  pleasures  she  had 
been  used  to  at  home.  She  took  a  resolution. 

"I'll  ask  her,"  she  answered,  with  a  boldness 
that  much  encouraged  Dotty,  who  had  unlim- 
ited faith  in  Alberta's  power  to  do  what  she 
wished  to  do.  "But,  dearie,  we'll  have  to  wait 
till  aunt  is  in  a  good  humor.  Now  she  has  a 
bad  cold,  and  she's  cross.  You  know,  a  cold 
makes  anybody  cross.  As  soon  as  she's  all  right 

85 


LIBERTY    HALL 

again  I'll  see  if  we  can't  get  her  to  let  you  ask 
some  little  girls  around  on  a  Saturday  after- 
noon. I'll  tell  her  we'll  only  use  the  big  kitchen 
and  not  make  any  trouble  for  her." 

"And  can  we  have  lemonade  and  some  cakes?" 
Dotty  was  in  a  glow  of  excitement  already,  and 
began  to  revolve  in  her  little  head  the  possibility 
of  getting  Clarissa  Smith  in,  someway,  for  a 
share  of  the  fun.  Maybe  she  could  be  engaged 
to  help  pass  lemonade. 

"Please  don't  set  your  heart  on  it,"  said  the 
elder,  rather  dismayed  to  see  things  go  so  far 
before  she  was  sure  of  her  project.  She  had 
tried  to  get  Dotty 's  mind  off  the  evening  enter- 
tainment of  the  club  and  had  merely  succeeded 
in  advancing  another  perplexity.  Her  mind 
turned  to  Martha  as  an  aid,  and  she  resolved  to 
consult  her  immediately;  for  just  as  Dotty  de- 
pended on  her,  she  had  learned  already  to  de- 
pend upon  the  resourceful  old  colored  woman 
for  help  in  emergencies.  Nobody  else  seemed 
able  to  manage  Mrs.  Knight  so  well,  and  many 
a  little  luxury  in  the  way  of  food  found  its  way 
to  their  table  through  the  wiliness  of  old  Martha, 
who  had  the  comfort  of  the  girls  much  on  her 
mind. 

Dotty  went  to  sleep  with  thoughts  of  candy- 
pulls  dancing  through  her  brain,  but  Alberta  sat 

86 


LIBERTY    HALL 

in  the  darkness  long  after  sleep  had  visited  the 
little  one,  looking  over  toward  the  brightly  lit 
house  of  the  Beachams  and  wondering  whether 
Hannah  would  miss  her  or  think  her  indifferent 
about  the  club.  She  had  expected  to  go,  until 
the  suggestion  of  dues  had  cooled  her  enthusiasm, 
and  now  she  began  accusing  herself  of  over- 
squeamishness.  Maybe  it  would  have  been  all 
right  to  go,  and  she  had  merely  deprived  herself 
of  a  pleasure  for  nothing.  It  was  a  lonely  even- 
ing, and  all  she  could  think  of  was  to  write  a 
letter  to  her  best  friend,  a  girl  in  Topeka.  With 
the  lamp  shaded  from  Dotty 's  eyes  by  an  open 
umbrella,  she  spread  out  her  writing-pad  on  the 
little  table,  and  began  to  write  rapidly: 

DEAREST  CORA, — I  certainly  didn't  mean  to  let  three 
weeks  pass  before  writing,  but  you  know  how  getting 
settled  in  a  new  place  takes  up  one's  time.  I  must  confess 
that  I'm  disappointed  in  Kentucky.  At  least,  that  part  of 
it  I've  seen  so  far.  Elmville  is  a  small  town,  with  about 
three  thousand  inhabitants,  and  very  social  and  lively  for 
its  size,  I  think;  but  my  aunt  is  a  rather  queer  woman, 
who  seems  to  keep  entirely  to  herself,  and  the  only  chance 
we  have  to  make  acquaintances  is  at  school.  I  have  en- 
tered the  high  school  and  Dotty  is  in  the  primary  depart- 
ment. If  I  can  go  on  I  shall  graduate  in  two  years.  Then 
— well,  I  suppose  some  way  will  open  out  for  me  to  earn  a 
living,  for  you  know,  dear,  there  is  almost  nothing  coming 
to  us,  and  whatever  expectations  I  had  about  my  aunt's 
7  87 


LIBERTY    HALL 

property — which  really  belonged  to  my  father — are 
dashed.  It's  altogether  different  from  what  we  used  to 
plan  as  our  future,  isn't  it  ? 

I  suppose  you  are  having  a  lively  time  this  winter,  and 
will  graduate  with  tclat  next  June.  It  makes  me  feel 
dreary  to  know  that  all  the  old  class  is  going  on  without 
me,  and  all  the  fun  going  on,  too,  without  my  valuable 
assistance!  I'm  homesick  enough  to-night,  you  may  just 
believe,  for  I've  remembered  that  it's  the  night  of  the 
French  play  we  were  going  to  open  up  the  year  with. 
Please  do  write  me  all  about  it,  for  I'm  as  shut  off  here 
from  such  things  as  if  I  were  in  Egypt.  The  girls  here 
don't  seem  to  care  about  that  sort  of  thing  and  the  only 
thing  I've  been  asked  to  join  is  a  dancing  and  entertain- 
ment club  called  the  Young  Folks'. 

The  girls  are  very  nice — except  one,  who  is  a  lemon.  I 
try  to  keep  out  of  her  way  because  I'm  afraid  I  shall  say 
something  she  won't  like.  She  cheats  at  lessons,  and  you 
know  how  we  despise  that  sort  of  thing.  How  is  Emily, 
and  when  will  she  be  married?  To  think  of  her  going  to 
Washington  to  live  and  being  down  there  surrounded  by 
wonderful  things,  while  the  rest  of  us  are  delving  along 
among  commonplaces.  Well,  she  deserves  her  good  for- 
tune. You  will  be  sure  to  ask  me  about  the  boys  here. 
None  of  them  that  I've  seen  are  as  enterprising  and  good 
fun  as  our  own  set.  One  of  them,  a  John  Gilpatrick,  is 
studying  to  be  an  architect,  and  seems  very  decent,  but 
quite  homely.  Another  is  a  dandified  fellow,  named 
Dezevolos,  and  the  only  two  others  I've  met  are  just 
ordinary;  maybe  they  have  more  brains  than  they  show. 
One  thing  that  strikes  me  as  funny  is  the  way  the  boys 
talk;  not  straightforwardly  and  sensibly,  as  ours  do,  but 

88 


LIBERTY    HALL 

as  if  they  were  all  the  time  afraid  of  offending  the  girls. 
Some  of  the  girls  can  talk  of  nothing  but  "crushes."  We 
may  "congratulate  ourselves  on  our  superiority,"  as  old 
Miss  Peterson  used  to  say.  Dear  old  thing !  To  think  of 
the  tricks  we  played  on  her  in  algebra  class,  and  how 
tender  I  feel  toward  her,  now  I  shall  never  see  her  again. 

Well,  dear,  this  is  a  stupid  letter,  but  don't  treat  me 
likewise;  write  me  all  about  everything,  please,  and  my 
next  shall  be  an  improvement,  I  promise.  One  thing — I 
hardly  dare  tell  you  that  poor  Dotty  hasn't  seen  a  piano 
since  we  left  home,  and  has  no  chance  at  all  to  practise. 
And  with  her  genius!  I  don't  dare  to  even  say  piano  to 
her,  but  I'm  hoping  something  will  turn  up  for  her  sake. 

Good  night, — do  write  soon. 

Most  affectionately, 

ALBERTA. 

It  was  late  when  Alberta  extinguished  the 
lamp,  and  then  she  lay  awake  for  a  long  time 
after  going  to  bed.  It  seemed  to  her  once  or 
twice  that  she  heard  queer  noises  about  the 
house  or  yard,  but  she  wasn't  sure,  and  she  had 
no  wish  to  wake  up  her  aunt  by  investigating. 
So  she  lay  still  and  fell  into  a  late  nap,  from 
which  she  did  not  awake  until  nearly  eight 
o'clock. 

Hurrying  down  to  breakfast  with  Dotty,  the 
first  thing  she  heard  was  the  voice  of  her  aunt 
in  angry  argument  with  somebody  out  in  the 
back  porch.  The  table  was  set  with  its  usual 

89 


LIBERTY    HALL 

scanty  dishes  of  corn  pone  and  pot  of  tea,  but 
Mrs.  Knight  had  not  yet  appeared.  Settling 
Dotty  first,  with  a  sorrowful  kiss  to  season  the 
unpalatable  breakfast,  Alberta  peeped  into  the 
porch  to  see  what  the  matter  was.  Mrs.  Knight 
was  confronting  old  Henry,  the  driver  of  the 
ancient  hack,  who  stood  on  the  lower  step 
shuffling  his  feet  and  trying  to  get  in  a  word  be- 
tween the  sentences  the  widow  was  pouring 
forth. 

"I  never  heard  such  a  shameful  falsehood  in 
my  life,  Uncle  Henry.  You  know  perfectly  well 
that  son  of  yours  is  a  good-for-nothing,  a  chicken- 
thief  if  ever  there  was  one  born,  and  it's  no  use 
to  defend  him.  I  heard  his  voice  myself,  and 
could  swear  to  it,  talking  to  somebody.  And 
Captain  Jinks  is  gone  this  morning,  and  nobody 
but  that  ornery  Willard  of  yours  could  have 
picked  the  lock  of  the  chicken-house,  for  he  put 
the  lock  on  the  door.  Don't  tell  me!  You've 
got  to  make  Willard  bring  the  rooster  back,  and 
pretty  quick,  unless  he  wants  to  land  in  jail! 
And  if  he  has  had  the  impudence  to  wring  the 
neck  of  Captain  Jinks,  why,  he'll  wish  he  was 
in  Jericho  before  I've  done  with  him,  that's  all!" 

Old  Henry  stood  bending  before  this  storm. 
"Now,  ma'am,  all  I  kin  say  is  that  Willard  was 
at  home  all  last  night.  I  kin  make  out  a  alliby, 

90 


LIBERTY    HALL 

and  you  cayn't  go  against  that,  noways.  If 
the  boy  was  at  home,  how  could  he  be  here 
a-pickin'  locks  and  takin'  yo'  chickens?  It  don't 
stand  to  reason,  do  it?  I  'spect  you'll  find  out 
who  the  real  thief  is  befo*  long  and  then  you'll  be 
sorry  you  was  so  hasty,  ma'am." 

" Mercy!"  thought  Alberta,  "this  is  some- 
thing else  to  make  aunt  put  out!"  She  slipped 
into  her  place  at  table  and  pretended  not  to 
know  that  anything  was  the  matter  when  Mrs. 
Knight  came  in,  very  ruffled  and  disheveled, 
for  she  had  come  down-stairs  to  feed  her  chickens 
before  making  her  toilet,  and  after  discovering 
the  loss  of  her  favorite  had  remained  below. 

"Some  thief  broke  into  the  chicken-house  last 
night  and  stole  two  of  my  best  chickens,"  she 
said,  with  an  accusing  look,  as  if  Alberta  might 
have  prevented  the  misfortune  if  she  had 
wanted  to. 

"I'm  awfully  sorry.  Maybe  you'll  find  them. 
What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?" 

"That's  a  fool  question.  What  can  I  do? 
Their  necks  are  wrung  by  this  time.  Poor  Cap- 
tain Jinks!  But  that's  always  the  way.  Set 
your  heart  on  a  creeter  and  it's  sure  to  have 
something  happen  to  it.  Blooded  stock,  they 
were,  too.  A  good  three  dollars  out  of  my 
poor  pocket.  I  don't  know  how  I'm  going  to 

91 


LIBERTY    HALL 

get  along  if  this  sort  of  thing  goes  on  much 
longer." 

Her  grumbling  comment  continued  as  long  as 
breakfast  lasted,  leaving  the  girls  very  de- 
pressed. It  was  a  drizzly  morning,  too,  and 
Alberta  had  seldom  felt  so  low  in  spirits  as 
when  she  entered  the  school-room  just  in  time 
to  answer  to  her  name  as  the  roll  was  called. 
Hannah  sat  at  a  desk  two  seats  to  the  right  of 
her  and  they  were  in  the  habit  of  frequently  ex- 
changing pleasant  looks  or  even  a  brief  note 
when  time  hung  heavy  on  their  hands.  But  this 
morning,  beyond  a  simple  nod,  Hannah  took  no 
notice  of  her  friend.  She  bent  over  her  books 
with  extraordinary  perseverance  and  it  did  not 
take  much  reasoning  on  Alberta's  side  to  dis- 
cover that  she  was  vexed — probably  because 
Alberta  had  not  responded  to  the  club  invitation. 

Recess  came  and  still  Hannah  did  not  seek 
her  out.  Alberta  overcame  her  pride  enough  to 
stray  toward  her  once  and  make  a  remark, 
which  was  answered  civilly,  but  not  cordially. 
The  afternoon  dragged  miserably,  and  when  the 
school  was  dismissed  Alberta  made  a  hasty 
movement  toward  the  door,  wishing  to  escape 
any  more  slights.  Dotty  was  in  animated  talk 
with  some  of  her  little  friends,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary to  wait  for  her.  While  she  was  standing  in 

92 


LIBERTY    HALL 

front  of  the  building  a  hand  was  laid  on  her 
arm,  and  Hannah  spoke: 

"I  ought  to  be  awfully  angry  with  you,  but 
I  can't  be.  Why  didn't  you  come  last  night? 
I  didn't  think  you  would  carry  your  dislike  of 
Gladys  so  far  as  to  refuse  to  go  to  her  house 
when  the  club  met  there.  I  thought  you  had  a 
more  generous  disposition." 

"It  wasn't  that,  Hannah!  I  couldn't  come, 
that  was  all." 

"What  was  the  matter?  Why  couldn't  you 
come?  I  think  you  owe  me  an  explanation, 
anyway." 

Alberta  could  not  force  herself  to  say  that 
the  reason  she  had  not  gone  was  because  she 
did  not  want  to  share  any  festivities  of  the 
club  before  being  able  to  pay  her  dues.  She  re- 
mained silent,  and  her  silence  was  misunder- 
stood. Hannah  withdrew  her  arm  and  walked 
on  beside  her  with  a  gravity  and  constraint  that 
made  it  a  relief  when  her  street  was  reached  and 
the  pair  could  separate.  They  parted  with  a 
cool  good-by,  and  Alberta  felt  that  now  she  had 
not  a  single  friend  in  Elmville.  Hard  luck, 
indeed,  when  she  was  not  at  fault.  That  she 
was  possibly  over-proud  with  a  friend  whose 
frankness  ought  to  have  been  met  with  equal 
candor  did  not  occur  to  her.  Being  obliged  to 

93 


LIBERTY    HALL 

explain  things  from  the  standpoint  of  poverty 
was  something  new  and  mortifying  to  the  in- 
dependent girl.  Now  that  she  was  "up  against 
it,"  as  her  friend  Cora  would  have  said,  she 
instinctively  held  her  head  higher  than  ever  and 
was  less  inclined  than  ever  before  to  make 
concessions  and  explanations. 

"Mamie  and  Clorinda  say  they  love  candy- 
pulls,"  Dotty  was  saying,  as  she  skipped  along 
happily  over  the  damp  walk  that  led  to  the  side 
door.  "Both  of  them  will  come,  sister,  and  I 
guess  Sally  will  come,  too.  Her  mother  is  gone 
away,  but  her  grandmother  always  lets  her  have 
nice  times." 

"  Dotty!  Didn't  I  tell  you  not  to  say  anything 
about  that?  I  don't  know  that  I  can  give  you 
any  candy-pull  at  all.  You're  a  naughty  girl 
to  go  on  and  talk  about  things  before  I  say 
you  may." 

Dotty,  unused  to  such  scolding,  first  opened 
her  eyes  wide  and  then  ran  up-stairs,  crying. 
Alberta  sat  down  on  the  steps  in  despair  with 
herself. 

"If  ever  there  was  a  day  when  everything 
went  wrong,  this  has  been  it, ' '  she  thought.  "  I 'm 
a  beast,  that's  what  I  am,  to  scold  poor  little 
Dotty.  I'll  think  of  some  way  of  letting  the 
child  have  her  fun,  if  I  have  to  get  Martha  to 

94 


LIBERTY    HALL 

beguile  aunt  away  for  the  day  and  take  posses- 
sion of  the  house.  I  wish  we  had  the  house — 
wouldn't  I  just  turn  it  into  a  Liberty  Hall, 
though?"  And  numerous  ideas  of  reform  chased 
themselves  through  the  girl's  head  until  she 
began  to  smile  and  look  more  like  her  merry 
self.  The  restraints  she  had  to  put  up  with 
from  the  unreasonable  whims  of  Mrs.  Knight, 
who  vetoed  the  most  innocent  plans  merely  be- 
cause they  were  different  from  her  habits,  fretted 
the  niece  exceedingly.  But  she  was  prudent 
enough  to  try  to  avoid  causes  of  dispute  and  to 
keep  the  peace  as  far  as  lay  in  her  power. 


CHAPTER  VII 

THE  coolness  between  Alberta  and  Hannah 
continuing,  our  girl  was  thrown  on  her  own 
resources  for  society,  for  the  other  girls  were 
quick  to  observe  the  breach;  and  as  Alberta 
was  not  especially  popular,  they  left  her  to  her- 
self now  that  they  could  have  Hannah  without 
her.  She  plunged  into  study  and  distinguished 
herself  in  class;  especially  in  the  rhetoric  and 
literature  classes.  When  composition  day  came 
she  read  a  theme  on  "Degeneration"  that  made 
the  girls  wink  and  yawn,  but  impressed  the 
teachers. 

"Just  the  name  for  her,  sure — Miss  Diction- 
ary!" they  all  said,  and  she  was  not  the  better 
liked  for  her  success.  Gladys  came  out  with  a 
two-verse  thing  that  the  rest  pronounced 
"sweet,"  and  as  Alberta  did  not  show  by  look 
or  sign  any  admiration  for  it,  there  seemed  some 
reason  for  charging  her  with  petty  jealousy. 
Hannah,  acknowledged  to  Minnie  that  she  had 
been  mistaken  in  her;  she  had  thought  there 

96 


LIBERTY    HALL 

was  something  particularly  large  and  generous 
about  the  girl. 

"You  are  always  imagining  too  much,  dear/' 
said  the  elder  sister  in  a  wise  way.  "If  you 
wouldn't  expect  so  much  of  people  you  wouldn't 
be  so  disappointed  when  they  turn  out  to  be 
just  ordinary."  And  Hannah  believed  that  this 
was  her  defect. 

Minnie  was  one  of  the  amiable,  kind-hearted 
girls  who  would  not  for  the  world  have  made 
any  additional  annoyance  for  a  girl  who  was 
"down  and  out"  socially;  but  she  scarcely  re- 
alized how  hurt  Alberta  was  at  being  put  on 
the  shelf,  for  the  girl  wore  an  air  of  proud  in- 
dependence. She  smiled  as  genially  at  the  stiff 
"good  morning"  that  the  others  gave  her  now 
as  she  had  formerly  done  when  familiarly  and 
affectionately  accosted  by  her  fickle  friends. 
But  only  girls  who  have  had  "tiffs"  with  school 
companions  and  have  experienced  the  misery  of 
being  ostracized  and  left  out  of  the  little  schemes 
for  fun  and  the  trifling  chats  about  this  and  that, 
which  go  on  every  recess  and  after  and  before 
school,  can  understand  how  sad  it  made  Alberta 
when  the  others  gathered  around  in  groups  at 
luncheon-time,  sharing  delicacies  and  never 
taking  her  in  as  one  of  "the  bunch." 

Of  course,  there  were  exceptions,  and  if  she 

97 


LIBERTY    HALL 

had  chosen  she  might  have  formed  a  clique  of 
her  own,  rivaling  that  made  up  of  the  more  in- 
fluential and  aristocratic  girls.  But  she  soberly 
attended  to  her  own  business  and  went  for  long 
walks  with  Dotty  in  the  afternoons,  trying  to 
be  contented  without  the  company  of  her  nat- 
ural comrades — something  no  girl  ever  has  done 
or  can  do,  for  the  joy  of  association  with  one's 
.equals  in  age  and  pursuits  is  like  no  other  pleas- 
ure in  the  world,  and  the  most  self-sustaining 
soul  cannot  do  without  it. 

However,  fate  had  something  in  store  for  her, 
and  it  came  when  it  was  least  expected.  One 
glorious  afternoon,  such  an  afternoon  as  even 
October  rarely  offers  outside  of  the  wonderful 
Blue  Grass  region — she  was  sauntering  along  a 
pretty  side-street  with  Dotty,  who  held  in  her 
arms  a  large  cat  made  of  canton  flannel  by  the 
elder  sister's  cunning  fingers.  Suddenly  from  an 
open  gate  a  white  spaniel  darted,  barking  to 
split  its  throat  as  it  made  frantic  springs  after 
the  passive  cat. 

"Flock,  naughty  thing,  come  back  here  this 
minute!"  called  a  sweet  voice,  and  out  trotted 
a  dainty  little  lady  with  white  hair  and  bright, 
dark  eyes  and  the  most  smiling  face  imaginable. 
She  caught  the  spoiled  pet  by  the  collar  and 
gave  him  an  affectionate  shake.  He  jumped  up 


LIBERTY    HALL 

on  her  white  gown,  made  very  full,  although  the 
fashion  was  at  the  moment  for  scanty  gowns, 
and  tried  to  lick  her  face  as  he  barked  his  ex- 
planation of  the  intrusive  cat  in  the  arms  of  the 
passing  little  girl. 

"Isn't  he  a  darling?"  eagerly  asked  Dotty, 
trying  to  touch  him,  as  he  jumped  about,  active 
as  only  a  toy  spaniel  can  be  in  moments  of  ex- 
citement. "What  a  cute  name — Flock!  See, 
sister,  he  hasn't  a  black  hair  anywhere  about 
him!  I  do  love  little  dogs." 

The  owner  looked  pleased,  and  a  conversation 
so  pleasantly  begun  was,  of  course,  followed  up — • 
it  being  Kentucky — by  an  invitation  to  the  girls 
to  come  in  and  see  the  flower-garden  and  then  to 
sit  on  the  rustic  bench  and  share  sugar  cake 
and  apples.  Dotty  played  with  Flock,  who  was 
not  backward  about  making  friends  with  her 
now,  and  Alberta  talked  sedately  with  the 
mistress  of  the  cottage.  The  tiny  home  was  ex- 
ceedingly pretty  and  well  kept  up.  The  gravel 
walks  were  clean  and  neat,  the  flower-beds 
tended  so  carefully  that  not  a  weed  was  to  be 
seen  anywhere,  and  the  little  porch  had  a  charm- 
ing pair  of  green  bamboo  rocking-chairs  with  red 
cushions,  on  either  side  of  a  toy  tea-table 
covered  with  an  embroidered  cloth. 

"You  are  expecting  company?"  said  Alberta, 
99 


LIBERTY    HALL 

drawing  back  as  the  little  lady  invited  her  to 
sit  on  the  porch. 

"No,  not  anybody  especially.  I  always  have 
the  teapot  ready  at  this  time  of  day,  you  see. 
I  love  a  cup  of  tea,  and  seize  every  chance  to 
dissipate,  myself,  if  a  stray  visitor  gives  me  an 
excuse.  Do  have  a  cup  with  me." 

Alberta,  secretly  charmed  with  her,  con- 
sented, and  it  was  not  till  after  several  cakes  had 
been  eaten  and  Dotty  had  gone  a  little  apart  to 
romp  with  the  spaniel  that  Miss  Dollery  Wise- 
man, as  she  gave  her  name,  delicately  in- 
vestigated her  guest's  credentials. 

"Lewis — Alberta  Lewis?  Why,  my  dear,  we 
are  cousins,  then!  Just  to  think  of  that,  now! 
How  long  have  you  been  in  Elmville,  and  why 
didn't  I  know  you  were  here?  I  am  your  father's 
own  first  cousin.  Have  you  never  heard  him 
speak  of  Dollery?  Many  a  picnic  we've  gone 
on  together,  your  father  and  I.  How  is  he,  and 
when  will  he  be  on?" 

She  was  shocked  and  grieved  when  Alberta 
told  her  of  her  orphanage,  and  of  coming  to  live 
with  her  aunt,  after  the  loss  of  her  father's 
money.  She  took  the  girl  to  her  heart  in  good, 
motherly  fashion,  although  she  was  such  a  dot 
of  a  woman  that  the  tall  girl  thought  of  a  kitten 
mothering  a  cat,  as  she  afterward  told  old 

100 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Martha.  But  it  was  most  comforting  to  find 
such  a  friend,  especially  at  this  time  when 
she  was  sadly  feeling  the  need  of  friends;  and 
it  was  not  long  before  she  was  pouring  out 
her  heart  to  little  Miss  Dollery,  who  had  a 
stanch,  reliable  way  about  her  that  promised 
well  for  the  confidence  Alberta  was  moved  to 
give. 

The  last  thing  the  girl  explained,  and  the  thing 
she  certainly  had  not  meant  to  say  anything  at 
all  about,  was  the  pressing  need  of  money.  But 
Miss  Dollery  was  a  person  with  whom  one  could 
not  be  reserved.  The  secret  came  out,  and  she 
took  it  in  a  way  that  made  the  confidence  seem 
a  fortunate  thing. 

"Why,  we  must  see  about  that,  my  dear," 
she  said,  with  a  capable  air.  "I  can't  under- 
stand your  aunt's  attitude  at  all.  Everything — 
house,  farm,  and  orchard — belonged  to  your 
father  and  now  must  belong  to  you  and  the 
little  one.  To  be  sure,  there  isn't  much  of  an 
income  out  of  the  place,  and  the  orchard  has 
about  gone  to  ruin,  they  tell  me;  but  whatever 
there  is  is  yours,  and  we  must  see  about  it.  I 
will  talk  over  matters  with  Judge  Beacham. 
Eh," — as  Alberta  colored  at  the  name — "you 
know  the  Beacham  girls,  I  reckon?" 

"A  little,"  was  the  answer.    That  confidence 

IOI 


LIBERTY    HALL 

was  not  to  be  entered  upon  at  present,  she 
decided.  So  Miss  Dollery  went  on: 

"About  your  school  bill,  you  don't  need  to 
worry  the  least  in  the  world.  Why,  down  here 
bills  are  only  paid  up  about  once  or  twice  a 
year.  We  all  trust  each  other,  and  nobody  is 
ever  the  loser  for  the  confidence.  The  principal 
of  the  Academy  is  one  of  the  nicest  women  in 
the  world.  If  she  knew  you  were  straitened, 
she  would  help  you  out  by  giving  you  some 
classes,  I  know." 

"Do  you  think  so?"  cried  Alberta,  eagerly. 
And  then  her  face  fell,  for  she  could  not  see  how 
it  was  possible  to  undertake  any  more  of  that 
sort  of  work  and  do  what  was  required  for  her 
own  class.  While  Miss  Dollery  reflected  it 
chanced  that  Dotty  approached  with  the  big  toy 
cat  held  in  full  view;  she  had  been  hiding  it 
under  her  arm  so  as  not  to  annoy  Flock. 

"What  a  delightful  cat!"  said  Miss  Dollery, 
taking  it  in  her  hand  to  admire  the  workmanship. 

"  Allie  made  it,"  explained  Dotty,  charmed  to 
have  her  favorite  appreciated.  It  really  was  a 
most  life-like  cat,  with  shining  yellow  beads  for 
eyes,  and  a  woolly  tail  that  imitated  Angora  very 
effectively.  "She  can  make  elephants,  too," 
added  the  little  girl.  "She  made  me  a  Jumbo 
last  Christmas." 

102 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Is  it  possible?"  ejaculated  the  hostess, 
thoughtfully;  and  then  she  clapped  her  hands. 
"My  dear,  it's  the  best  idea!  If  you  want  to 
make  a  little  pocket-money,  the  way  is  easy. 
The  church  fair  is  to  be  held  in  November  and 
I  am  on  the  committee  to  see  about  the  fancy- 
table.  We  are  always  keen  after  novelties,  and 
these  little  canton-flannel  animals  would  be 
the  best  thing  in  the  world.  Can  you  make  us 
some?" 

Of  course  Alberta  could  and  would.  Nothing 
was  easier  for  her.  She  had  a  gift  at  construct- 
ing shapes  out  of  any  pliable  material  and  she 
could  make  an  elephant  in  an  evening,  she  told 
Miss  Dollery,  if  only  she  could  have  the  use  of 
a  sewing-machine !  By  hand  it  would  take  much 
longer.  Miss  Dollery  had  an  old,  but  very  nice 
machine,  that  no  one  used,  in  her  little  up-stairs 
room.  She  took  the  girls  up  and  displayed  it. 
It  was  the  neatest,  dearest  little  room  they  had 
ever  been  in,  just  such  a  room  as  would  natu- 
rally belong  to  the  dainty  little  woman,  and 
Dotty  could  hardly  tear  herself  away  from  it. 

They  all  sat  down  together  on  the  big  rug,  so 
as  to  talk  cozily,  and  leaned  on  the  low  chairs. 
It  was  as  informal  as  a  real  family  gathering. 
For  the  first  time  since  being  in  Elmville,  Al- 
berta felt  happy  and  at  home.  The  three  talked 

8  103 


LIBERTY    HALL 

enthusiastically  about  what  they  could  do  to 
make  the  fair  a  success,  and  what  might  be 
done  to  bring  about  a  profitable  occupation  for 
the  needy  young  cousin  whom  the  hostess  had 
taken  to  her  heart. 

"I'm  as  poor  as  Job's  turkey  myself,  dear," 
said  Miss  Dollery,  contentedly,  "but  I  oughtn't 
to  say  that,  either,  for  being  poor  isn't  so  much 
not  having  money  as  not  having  things  one 
can't  do  without,  and  I  have  everything  I  really 
need  for  myself.  The  only  time  I  feel  straitened 
is  when  I  want  to  help  a  friend.  But  don't  you 
worry,  I'm  going  to  see  you  both  through." 

"Dear  Miss  Wiseman — "  Alberta  began,  but 
was  interrupted  by  a  little  scream. 

"Not  Miss  Wiseman,  my  dear,  at  all.  At  the 
worst,  Miss  Dollery.  But  to  you  two  I'm  just 
Cousin  Dollery,  I  hope  and  trust.  Why,  we're 
real  kin!" 

"Cousin,  then.  Oh,  I'm  awfully  glad  you 
take  us  in  that  way.  But  I  was  going  to  say 
that  you  mustn't  worry  about  us  at  all.  Just 
as  soon  as  the  money  comes  from  the  furniture 
I'm  sure  we  shall  be  quite  rich.  You  see,  there 
was  all  the  furniture,  excepting  the  books  and  a 
few  little  things  and  some  of  the  silver  which  I 
brought  along.  There  was  the  piano — "  Al- 
berta stopped  suddenly  as  Dotty  raised  her 

104 


LIBERTY    HALL 

head  and  stopped  her  soft  patting  of  the  little 
dog. 

"Why,  Bertie,  is  the  piano  going  to  be  sold? 
Can't  I  ever  play  any  more?  I  want  the  piano." 
And  the  child,  who  had  not  yet  felt  the  complete 
deprivation  of  her  beloved  piano  in  the  novelty 
of  going  to  school  among  new  companions, 
looked  as  if  she  would  burst  out  crying.  Alberta 
grew  a  little  bit  pale  and,  leaning  over,  put  her 
hand  on  the  child's  head,  while  her  eyes  looked 
significantly  at  her  cousin. 

"I  understand,"  said  Miss  Dollery,  softly; 
but  she  did  not  fully  understand,  because  she 
knew  nothing  of  Dotty 's  passion  for  music;  a 
passion  that  had  shown  itself  when  she  was  but 
four  years  old  and  had  put  her  little  hands  on 
the  piano  for  the  first  time. 

"You  ought  to  hear  her  play  lPre  au  Clerc? 
or  some  easy  bits  of  Beethoven,"  said  Alberta, 
with  pride  in  her  voice.  "Some  day  she  is  going 
to  have  a  piano  again.  But  what  could  we  do 
with  one  here,  now,  even  if  we  could  have  our 
own?  Aunt  would  never  stand  the  noise  of 
practising,  I  am  sure.  She  can't  even  stand  a 
door  being  shut  hard.  She's  very  nervous." 

1 '  Constant  sewing, ' '  nodded  Miss  Dollery.  ' '  I 
haven't  seen  Mrs.  Knight  for  some  time.  I  sup- 
pose she's  a  sort  of  cousin,  too,  but  we  never 

105 


LIBERTY    HALL 

did  claim  kin.  They  tell  me  she's  grown  harder 
to  live  with  lately,  since — "  she  cleared  her 
throat  and  began  on  another  subject.  "Do  you 
know  Mrs.  Dezevolos?" 

Alberta  shook  her  head. 

"She's  a  musical  genius.  Just  crazy  about 
music,  dearie.  Goes  every  winter  to  New  York 
for  the  opera.  She's  even  gone  to  Europe  for  it 
—to  Germany.  She  has  a  wonderful  voice  her- 
self. I  believe  she  sang — in  concert,  of  course — • 
before  she  married  Mr.  Dezevolos.  She  was  a 
Miss  Austin,  from  Virginia,  you  know.  Reckon 
you've  met  the  boy?  A  nice  boy.  I  should  think 
she  would  have  Dotty  over  to  her  house  and 
help  her  about  her  music.  I'm  going  to  see 
if  I  can't  manage  that.  She's  a  dear  friend 
of  mine." 

The  afternoon  was  turning  to  evening,  but 
the  girls  lingered,  charmed  at  the  home-like 
atmosphere  of  the  cottage.  At  last  Alberta  said 
they  really  must  go,  and  got  up  from  the  rug. 

"Now,  remember  that  this  is  another  home," 
said  Miss  Dollery,  as  she  accompanied  them  to 
the  door.  "You  are  to  come  over  very,  very 
often,  and  stay  to  supper,  and  sew  on  the 
machine  to  make  the  animals.  One  piece  of 
good  fortune  is  that  I  can  pay  for  each  animal 
as  soon  as  it  is  made.  You  don't  need  to  wait. 

106 


LIBERTY    HALL 

The  committee  is  flush  and  I  can  easily  get  the 
cash." 

"That  is  splendid,"  said  Alberta,  who,  girl- 
like,  considered  it  part  of  a  bargain  to  be  paid 
on  the  spot,  and  had  a  natural  impatience  of 
waiting.  At  this  moment  the  smallest  sum  of 
money  would  be  gratefully  received,  for  her 
purse  was  empty.  If  a  telegram  had  come  she 
would  have  had  to  borrow  the  change  to  pay 
for  it.  The  position  was  galling.  Never,  since 
she  was  three  years  old,  had  she  been  without  an 
allowance  for  pocket-money. 

It  was  almost  dark  as  they  left  the  cottage, 
but  there  was  nothing  to  fear  on  the  quiet 
streets,  and  they  walked  slowly,  talking  cheer- 
fully of  the  delightful  discovery  of  such  a  charm- 
ing cousin  and  such  a  fascinating  cottage. 

"Hullo,  miss!  Is  this  something  of  yours?" 
Alberta  turned  to  see  a  stout,  ruddy-faced  boy 
holding  out  to  her  a  small  note-book  that  had 
slipped  from  the  pocket  of  her  jacket.  He  had 
detached  himself  from  a  group  of  girls  and  boys 
who  were  waiting  for  him  a  little  way  back,  and 
when  the  owner  of  the  book  thanked  him,  one 
of  these  girls  made  a  short  run  and  took  her 
hand.  She  recognized  a  girl  with  whom  she  had 
a  very  slight  acquaintance,  in  the  class  below 
her  own  at  school. 

107 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Alberta  Lewis!  I'm  glad  to  meet  you.  I 
was  just  talking  about  you,  upon  my  word  I 
was!  This  is  my  brother  George,  and  my  cousin, 
Mabel  Ross,  and  this  is  Sarah  Adams.  Are  you 
walking  this  way?  I've  something  to  tell  you," 
and,  taking  Alberta's  arm,  she  walked  ahead, 
one  of  the  others  attaching  herself  to  Dotty  and 
beginning  a  lively  conversation  about  the  famous 
cat. 

"I'm  awfully  glad  we  caught  up  with  you, 
Alberta,  for  I  was  thinking  of  writing  you  a 
note.  We're  all — my  four  cousins  and  my 
brothers  and  I — going  over  to  the  woods  to- 
morrow afternoon,  as  it's  a  holiday,  to  have 
some  fun.  We're  going  to  take  a  luncheon  and 
make  a  camp-fire  and  go  rowing  on  the  little  lake 
in  Mr.  Ketcham's  grounds.  He  lets  us  in  when- 
ever mother  asks  him,  because  he  says  it  does 
him  good  to  have  us  over  there  in  his  lonely  old 
grounds.  I  do  want  you  to  be  one  of  our  party. 
Now  don't  say  no!"  as  she  saw  refusal  on 
Alberta's  tongue.  "What  can  keep  you  from 
coming?" 

'There's  only  one  thing,"  answered  Alberta, 
"my  little  sister.  My  aunt  is — rather  nervous 
and  not  used  to  children.  I  don't  believe  she 
would  be  willing  to  take  care  of  Dotty  so  long. 
I'm  as  sorry  as  I  can  be.  I'd  just  love  to  go." 

1 08 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"I'm  awfully  disappointed!  But  it  does  seem 
as  if  we  could  arrange  about  your  little  sister. 
Why  couldn't  you  bring  her  over  to  our  house 
and  let  her  stay  with  my  mother?  Mother  loves 
little  girls  and  I  know  Dotty  is  lovely.  That's 
just  the  thing!  Please  do?" 

Miriam  Carruthers  was  the  persuasive,  win- 
ning sort  of  girl  who  could  not  be  resisted,  and 
Alberta  found  herself  yielding  with  satisfaction 
to  the  plan  she  proposed,  despite  the  stiffness 
that  had  unconsciously  grown  upon  her  lately 
when  she  came  into  contact  with  any  of  her 
schoolmates.  The  Carruthers  lived  in  the 
northern  suburb  of  Elmville,  Mr.  Carruthers 
being  a  miller  in  a  large  way,  owning  a  plant 
that  extended  over  an  immense  tract,  and  con- 
trolling nearly  all  the  flour  industry  of  the 
county.  Rich,  easy-going,  and  amiable,  the 
family  practised  an  endless  hospitality  and  were 
much  liked  by  their  neighbors,  although  there 
was  a  certain  "set"  which  they  did  not  attempt 
to  enter,  and  which,  while  perfectly  courteous, 
held  a  little  aloof  from  them.  This  is  a  phase  of 
Southern  life  that  is  neither  understood  nor 
sympathized  with  outside  of  the  region,  and  of 
which  Alberta,  certainly,  was  entirely  ignorant. 
She  did  not  know  that  Miriam  was  glad  to  be 
nice  to  a  girl  who  had  been  picked  up  and  then 

109 


LIBERTY    HALL 

dropped  by  the  aristocratic  Beachams;  the 
Beachams  had  never  entered  the  Carruthers' 
house,  and  recognized  the  family  only  at  church 
or  public  entertainments. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  world  against  the 
Carruthers  except  that  they  were  so  new  in  their 
prosperity  that  the  mother  of  the  family  had  not 
as  yet  become  used  to  eating  in  her  big  dining- 
room,  and  had  to  ask  her  children's  advice  about 
the  many  little  social  usages  that  perplexed  her. 
Miriam  herself  was  unaffected  and  candid,  and 
she  was  neither  ashamed  of  her  parents  nor  de- 
sirous of  pushing  herself  into  society  that  did 
not  want  her.  She  saw  that  an  injustice  was 
being  done  to  the  Western  stranger,  and,  having 
a  genuine  respect  for  her  scholarship  and  char- 
acter, eagerly  seized  upon  a  chance  to  cultivate 
her  friendship.  So  when  she  coaxed  Alberta, 
in  her  pleasant  voice,  the  girl  was  glad  to  grant 
what  she  asked,  although  she  rather  feared 
trouble  than  hoped  for  pleasure  out  of  a  day 
passed  with  the  capricious  young  people. 

But  the  others  now  came  up,  and  when 
Miriam  called  out,  "She's  coming,  girls!"  they 
cordially  expressed  their  satisfaction.  Alberta 
felt  a  little  thrill  of  gratitude  toward  these  girls, 
all  in  the  class  lower  than  her  own,  but  so  much 
more  friendly  with  her  than  the  Juniors.  Miriam 

no 


LIBERTY    HALL 

was  a  little  older  than  she,  for  Alberta  was  far 
advanced,  and  as  regarded  age  was  more  suited 
to  go  with  the  Sophomores  than  with  the  Jun- 
iors. But,  being  older  than  her  years,  she  felt 
it  almost  a  "come  down"  to  enter  into  intimacy 
with  lower-class  girls.  Miriam  wore  her  hair  in 
a  long  braid  down  her  back,  as  did  her  cousins, 
while  all  the  girls  in  her  own  class  had  put  up 
their  hair  and  lengthened  their  skirts.  It  made 
a  difference! 

"Say,  Mim,  Tom's  coming,  you  know,"  said 
George,  as  they  all  walked  together  in  a  strag- 
gling bunch,  extending  out  to  the  street  so  that 
some  of  them  were  being  continually  jostled  off 
the  curb.  They  giggled  and  pushed  back, 
noisily,  but  with  entire  good  humor. 

"Now,  George,  if  we  let  Tom  in,  you  must  put 
him  under  bonds  of  good  behavior,  as  uncle  says, 
or  we  won't  have  any  peace.  It's  Tom  Mal- 
lony , ' '  she  explained  to  Alberta.  ' '  He's  a  Prince- 
ton boy  that's  to  be — so  he  hopes.  He  hasn't 
been  able  to  pass  his  entrance  exams.  He's  failed 
twice  and  his  father  makes  him  try  till  he  does 
pass.  So  he  grinds  with  a  tutor,  and  gets  into 
every  lark  that's  going,  to  make  life  endurable, 
he  says.  He's  some  fun,  all  right ;  but  you  have 
to  look  out  for  practical  jokes.  Do  you  hate  'em? 
I  don't  mind  so  long  as  they're  good-natured." 

in 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Alberta  thought  she  did  not  mind,  either. 
The  promise  of  fun  in  any  form  was  welcome, 
after  her  late  loneliness,  and  at  her  gate  she 
parted  with  the  troop  of  gay  young  people  with 
a  light-heartedness  equal  to  their  own,  going  in 
to  the  dim  sitting-room  and  her  aunt's  gloom 
with  enough  inward  cheer  to  enable  her  to  stand 
Mrs.  Knight's  reproof  for  being  late  to  supper. 

"The  pone's  cold,"  said  that  lady,  sourly.  "I 
can't  be  expected  to  keep  the  fire  going  just  to 
keep  things  warm  for  girls  that  don't  take  the 
trouble  to  come  in  at  the  proper  hour." 

"Most  people  don't  have  supper  at  five 
o'clock,"  Alberta  could  not  help  saying.  "It 
seems  to  me  too  early.  The  twilight  is  so  lovely 
now  that  we  like  to  be  out  of  doors  a  little  while 
after  school." 

"H'm!"  was  all  the  answer  Mrs.  Knight 
vouchsafed,  and  that  did  not  admit  of  argu- 
ment. Fortunately,  after  Miss  Dollery's  tea, 
the  girls  did  not  feel  hungry,  and  Dotty  simply 
let  her  bread  lie  on  her  plate  without  pretending 
to  touch  it. 

"That  child's  got  a  cold,"  announced  the 
aunt,  looking  with  unusual  interest  at  her  little 
niece.  "Her  face  is  red.  I  advise  you  to  give 
her  a  dose  of  boneset  right  off  and  put  her  to 
bed.  If  she  can  get  into  a  sweat  she'll  be  all 

112 


LIBERTY    HALL 

right  in  the  morning.  We  don't  want  sick 
children  around." 

"I  haven't  any  cold,  have  I,  Allie?"  Dotty 
protested  against  this  assault  on  her  freedom. 

Mrs.  Knight  looked  very  grim.  "In  my  day 
little  girls  didn't  contradict  their  elders,"  she 
said.  "But  you  'ain't  had  any  bringing  up, 
poor  thing." 

This  was  a  direct  attack  that  made  Alberta's 
heart  beat  indignantly.  She  was  responsible  for 
Dotty 's  bringing  up,  so  far,  and  she  flattered 
herself  that  the  child's  manners  did  credit  to 
her.  A  difference  of  opinion  was  surely  about 
to  arise,  if  not  a  genuine  quarrel,  when  it  was 
averted  by  old  Martha,  who  stuck  her  head  in 
the  door  with  the  announcement  that  she  had 
a  day  to  spare  next  day.  Would  Mrs.  Knight 
let  her  come  to  wash  then,  instead  of  Friday — • 
because  she  wanted  to  go  to  a  funeral? 

"'Tain't  convenient,"  said  Mrs.  Knight, 
tartly,  "but  when  did  anybody  ever  consult  my 
convenience?  I  s'pose  it  '11  have  to  be  the  day 
that  suits  you.  If  I  was  feeling  just  right  I'd 
rather  wash  myself  than  be  at  the  beck  and  call 
of  other  people.  But  with  all  the  pieces  the 
children  have  now  it  makes  a  bushel  of  wash, 
and  I'm  not  feeling  quite  so  good  as  I  used  to." 

"I'll  be  over  to-morrow  mornin',  bright  and 
"3 


LIBERTY    HALL 

early,"  said  the  cheerful  colored  woman,  who 
had  been  making  mysterious  motions  to  Dotty 
while  the  aunt  was  talking.  Dotty  slipped 
down,  with  a  murmured  excuse,  which  Mrs. 
Knight  did  not  deign  to  answer,  and  followed 
Martha  out  to  the  porch.  A  ginger  cooky,  warm 
from  the  oven,  was  put  in  her  hand,  and  an- 
other, in  a  bit  of  paper,  was  shown  her. 

"This  is  for  your  sister,"  whispered  Martha. 
"You  get  a  chance  to  get  it  to  her  without  yo' 
aunt  seein',  honey,  'cause  someway  it  irritates 
the  old  lady  to  have  me  make  things  for  you- 
all  that  she  don't  have  the  bossin'  of.  Don't  see 
why  I  can't  use  my  own  eggs  and  molasses  if  I 
want  to,  but  we'd  best  not  have  a  fuss.  Is  it 
good,  honey?  Bless  the  child,  we's  goin'  to 
have  a  nice  time  to-morrow,  for  yo'  aunt's 
just  got  to  go  to  society  meetin' — he,  he!  I 
knows  what  I's  doin'  when  she  ain't  around! 
Her  work  '11  go  a  heap  better  when  she  don't 
interfere.  It  puts  a  pusson  out,  so  it  do." 

"Are  you  coming  to-morrow  and  will  aunt 
be  away?  Oh,  I  wish  I  was  going  to  stay  at 
home  instead  of  going  to  that  strange  lady's," 
and  Dotty  told  of  the  plan  that  had  been  made 
for  her  to  pass  the  day  with  some  Mrs. 
Carruthers,  while  Alberta  went  to  a  picnic. 

"Carruthers?  Hum!  Not  fust  cut,  they 
114 


LIBERTY    HALL 

ain't.  But  Miss  Alberta's  got  sense  enough  to 
judge  for  herself.  You  stay  here  at  home  with 
old  Martha,  honey,  and  not  go  whar  thar's 
apt  to  be  a  lot  o*  tags  o'  children — they's  not 
particular  enough  'bout  who  they  let  in,  them 
Carruthers.  Guess  you'd  best  stay  at  'home, 
Miss  Dotty,  and  I'll  find  some  way  o'  makin' 
you  some  taffy,  so  I  will,  with  my  own  mo- 
lasses. And  you  and  Clarissa  can  have  a 
party." 

This  idea  appealed  to  Dotty.  She  liked  the 
funny  chatter  of  the  little  darky  and  fell  readily 
into  the  plan  of  the  old  woman,  not  having  any 
suspicion  that  old  Martha,  as  honest  and  kindly 
as  she  was,  had  a  sort  of  jealous  attachment  to 
her  little  favorite  which  made  her  fear  any 
other  attachment,  unless  it  should  happen  to  be 
one  so  plainly  for  the  child's  advantage  that  she 
could  not  gainsay  it. 

"I  guess  sister  will  let  me  stay  home,"  said 
Dotty.  "I'd  rather,  anyway.  Can  we  have 
dinner  out  in  the  yard,  on  the  old  table, 
Martha?" 

Martha  promised  all  that  was  asked,  caution- 
ing her  to  say  nothing  before  her  aunt,  which 
caution  Dotty  did  not  need.  She  had  already 
learned  to  dread  the  cold,  severe  look  with  which 
the  unmotherly  woman  greeted  every  little  plan 

"5 


LIBERTY    HALL 

mentioned  before  her,  and  was  learning  to  curb 
her  ready,  confiding  little  tongue. 

While  undressing  she  told  Alberta  all  about 
Martha's  suggestion,  and  the  sister  took  it  into 
serious  consideration.  It  seemed  better,  if 
Dotty  liked  it,  to  have  her  stay  at  home  rather 
than  to  force  her  company  on  a  stranger  who 
might  not  be  as  ready  as  Miriam  had  believed 
to  take  charge  of  a  child. 

"For  that  matter,  I  needn't  go,  dearie;  I  can 
get  Martha  to  take  a  note,"  said  Alberta,  but 
Dotty  eagerly  protested.  Perhaps  not  alto- 
gether from  an  unselfish  motive,  although  she 
wanted  her  sister  to  go  where  she  could  have  a 
nice  time.  It  would  be  a  novelty,  and  a  pleas- 
ant one,  to  have  a  day  at  large,  unwatched  and 
unnoticed,  with  the  small,  versatile  Clarissa, 
whose  ingenuity  in  devising  amusements  prom- 
ised ample  diversion.  So  it  was  settled  that 
Alberta  was  to  go  over  to  the  Carruthers'  house 
immediately  after  breakfast,  meeting  her  friends 
at  their  gate. 

Perhaps  if  Mrs.  Knight  had  had  any  intima- 
tion of  all  the  mischief  the  "little  limb  of 
Satan"  was  to  perpetrate  the  day  she  had 
arranged  to  go  to  her  sewing  society  on  the 
other  side  of  the  town,  she  might  have  given 
up  her  plan.  But  she  set  out  duly,  about  ten 

116 


LIBERTY    HALL 

o'clock,  in  order  to  assist  with  the  society 
dinner,  thinking  that  the  sisters  would  both 
pass  a  quiet,  if  dull,  day  at  home,  while  Martha 
was  properly  doing  her  washing.  It  was  a 
nuisance  that  the  school  gave  a  holiday,  but 
that  was  none  of  her  affair.  The  children  must 
manage  to  put  in  the  time  with  duties. 

"It  'd  be  a  good  time  for  you  to  mend  up  all 
your  stockings,"  she  had  suggested.  "When  I 
was  a  girl  I'd  have  never  let  such  holes  grow  in 
my  stockings  as  you  two  have  in  yours." 

But  Alberta  had  not  promised  to  mend  the 
stockings.  When  the  necessity  came  she  took 
stitches,  but  she  was  no  lover  of  the  needle,  and 
the  thought  of  spending  a  holiday  in  the  house 
over  piles  of  sewing  made  her  laugh.  It  was  a 
glorious  morning,  and  she  had  awakened  with 
a  feeling  of  freedom  and  anticipation  of  pleasure 
to  come  which  gave  spring  to  her  walk  and 
brightness  to  her  eyes.  She  felt  once  more  that 
life  was  good. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

WHAT  a  pleasure  it  was  to  Alberta  to  don, 
for  the  first  time  since  she  had  left  home, 
her  short  black  skirt  and  white  middy  blouse 
with  its  black  tie;  her  little  round  sailor  hat,  and 
a  long,  sensible  blazer,  which,  however,  she 
merely  threw  over  her  arm  to  put  on  when  it 
was  needed.  So  equipped,  she  felt  herself  "on 
her  native  heath,"  and  with  the  clothes  came  a 
jaunty,  "don't  care"  feeling  that  was  a  perfect 
preparation  for  outdoor  fun. 

She  almost  ran  along  the  street,  her  mouth 
puckered  into  a  shape  for  whistling,  although 
she  did  not  actually  whistle.  She  met  first  Roy 
Dezevolos,  who  stopped  for  a  word  with  her; 
then,  one  of  the  teachers  at  the  Academy,  and 
finally,  Gladys  and  her  brother  John,  in  the 
girl's  pony-cart,  on  their  way  to  the  station. 
They  were  going  to  Lexington  for  the  holiday. 
Of  course  there  was  mutual  recognition,  but 
Gladys's  lip  curled  at  sight  of  her  acquaintance 
in  such  informal  garb,  and  if  Alberta's  spirits 

118 


LIBERTY    HALL 

had  not  been  elevated  to  a  height  little  things 
could  not  affect,  she  would  have  been  annoyed. 

In  a  few  minutes  more  she  came  to  the  iron 
gates  of  the  Carruthers'  place  and  found  a 
crowd  of  young  people  gathered  there,  waiting 
for  her. 

"I  hope  I've  not  kept  you  waiting,"  she  apol- 
ogized, and  one  of  the  boys,  whose  name  she 
had  not  caught  when  they  were  introduced, 
answered,  as  he  fell  into  step  with  her: 

"I  reckon  all  the  other  girls  would  have  been 
later  than  you  if  we  fellows  hadn't  been  up  and 
jostling  them  for  an  hour  back.  We  want  to 
get  started  at  the  racket  before  sundown,  you 
know,  and  the  girls  had  luncheon  to  pack  and 
half  a  dozen  nice  little  disputes  to  settle  about 
whether  they  had  to  take  mats  to  sit  on  or  water- 
proofs in  case  of  rain.  That's  what  it  means  to 
be  a  young  lady  and  wear  clothes  that  get 
spoiled,  isn't  it?  You're  awfully  sensible,  Miss 
Lewis,"  and  he  looked  appreciatively  at  her 
costume,  noting  her  low-heeled  white  tennis 
shoes,  which  she  had  thought  the  right  things 
for  the  woods.  The  other  girls,  although  simply 
dressed,  were  none  of  them  similarly  attired. 
Miriam  wore  a  dark-blue  skirt  and  a  blazer  over 
a  silk  blouse,  but  another  wore  a  white  gown 
which  was  entirely  too  thin  for  the  season. 

9  119 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Alberta's  companion  was  a  youth  of  medium 
height,  inclined  to  be  stout,  with  a  pinkish  skin 
and  pale-blue  eyes  that  held  a  twinkle.  He  had 
a  bluff,  humorous  way  of  speaking,  and  he  was 
usually  accompanied  by  his  chum,  George 
Carruthers,  who  always  seconded  anything  Tom 
Mallony  proposed. 

"Hi,  Tom,"  called  young  Carruthers,  at  this 
moment,  "I  forgot  my  match-box.  What  do 
you  think  of  that?" 

"  Plenty  here,"  answered  Alberta's  companion, 
and  he  patted  the  breast  of  his  dark-blue 
sweater.  "Beat  you  to  the  corner  mile-stone, 
George — Miss  Lewis  can  keep  time.  Sprint 
now!"  Alberta  had  a  watch  thrust  into  her 
hand  and  the  two  boys  tore  past  her  at  a  pant- 
ing run,  while  the  rest  stopped  to  watch  them. 
The  race  was  short  but  exciting,  for  in  the 
middle  of  the  course  Mallony  struck  a  snag  in 
the  shape  of  a  rolling  pebble,  and,  turning  al- 
most completely  over,  found  himself  seated  in  the 
road,  while  George  tore  ahead  and  won  the  goal. 

"Paper  sport!"  yelled  the  boys,  doubling  up 
with  laughter,  while  the  girls  giggled  less 
frankly,  but  with  as  much  pleasure.  Tom  got 
up,  grinning,  not  a  whit  abashed,  enjoying  his 
own  defeat  as  much  as  they  did. 

'This  track  isn't  kept  in  proper  order,"  he 

I2O 


LIBERTY    HALL 

shouted.  "Wait  till  we  get  to  college,  old 
fellow,  then  we'll  have  it  out."  He  resumed  the 
pace  with  Alberta,  and  fell  to  explaining  to  her 
that  he  had  lately  taken  on  weight,  but  was  now 
going  to  "reduce"  in  earnest. 

"Fact  is,  Miss  Alberta" — he  had  already  got 
so  far,  and  it  was  evident  that  soon  the  "Miss" 
would  drop  off  too — "we  get  too  lazy  in  summer, 
down  here.  Our  life  is  altogether  too  easy, 
driving  about  instead  of  using  our  own  pins. 
Why,  I've  begun  to  think  it's  a  job  to  walk  to 
High  Bridge.  Ever  been  there?" 

Alberta  said  she  hadn't,  and  that  she  had  only 
been  for  walks  around  the  town,  although  she 
was  a  good  walker. 

"Maybe  you'd  go  over  in  the  dog-cart  with 
Mim  and  me.  I'm  a  better  whip  than  runner, 
or  I  wouldn't  invite  you!  Mim's  the  jolliest 
little  girl  in  Elmville.  She's  always  ready  for 
anything,  going  about  with  these  three  brothers 
of  hers,  golfing,  skating,  sprinting.  There's 
nothing  she's  not  up  to." 

"I  think  that's  splendid.  Why  shouldn't 
girls  do  everything?" 

"No  reason  at  all.  Only — only  just  conven- 
tionality, I  reckon." 

"Our  day  is  coming,"  said  Alberta,  with  a 
smile  that  had  some  triumph  in  it. 

121 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"What  do  you  mean — are  you  a  woman's- 
righter?" 

"I  just  am!  I  hope  the  day  will  come  when 
women  sit  in  the  Capitol,  making  laws  with  the 
men.  Don't  we  have  to  live  under  them? 
Haven't  we  a  right  to  say  what  we  shall  submit 
to?" 

"You  don't  have  to  say  you're  a  Westerner," 
said  Tom,  laughing.  "Straight  out  from  the 
shoulder,  you  are.  But  seriously,  I  wouldn't 
like  my  mother  or  my  grandmother  to  go  into 
politics — to  go  'round  electioneering,  you  know, 
and  coming  into  contact  with  all  sorts  of  people. 
Women's  place  is  in  the  home." 

"They  come  into  contact  with  all  sorts  of  peo- 
ple when  they  do  work  for  charity,  don't  they?" 

"But  that's  different,"  remonstrated  the 
Southerner.  "Of  course  the  people  they  visit 
behave  themselves — don't  give  them  any  sauce 
or  that  sort  of  thing,  you  know.  Imagine  one 
of  you  nice,  gentle  girls  out  on  an  Election  Day, 
among  a  lot  of  rowdy,  drinking,  swearing  fellows 
at  the  polls!  Why,  it  would  be  enough  to  make 
any  one  of  us  tearing  mad.  In  America  women 
have  everything  they  want,  anyway,  father 
says.  Gee!  our  house  is  woman-ruled,  all  right. 
What  the  women  say  goes.  Down  here  we 
treat  women  like  goddesses." 

122 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Well,  we  don't  want  to  be  treated  that  way. 
We  want  a  chance  to  do  the  things  you  do;  to 
go  out  in  the  world  and  do  our  share  of  what's 
being  done." 

"Go  to  war,  for  instance,"  commented  Tom. 

"Yes!  If  it's  necessary.  Think  of  the  Red 
Cross  women.  Think  of  Clara  Barton!  When 
you  think  about  such  women  as  that,  how  can 
you  say  that  women  are  too  weak  to  do 
whatever  men  do?" 

"What  will  become  of  the  home?  How  will 
the  men's  clothes  get  mended  and  the — the 
children  attended  to  when  all  the  women  go  out 
scouting?" 

"All  women  haven't  a  genius  for  darning 
stockings,"  said  Alberta,  with  added  dignity  due 
to  her  consciousness  of  a  special  abhorrence  for 
that  time-honored  task.  "Maybe  the  day  will 
come  when  all  the  house  mending  will  be  given 
out  to  women  that  like  that  sort  of  thing,  and 
tailors  that  have  nothing  else  to  do." 

"Hah!  The  men  will  have  to  come  to  the 
sewing  business,  you  think.  Now,  Miss  Al- 
berta, come,  you  don't  mean  what  you  say. 
You're  only  guying.  Honest,  now,  don't  you 
like  fancy  work,  or  anything  else  girls  like?" 

He  spoke  as  if  he  was  trying  to  find  one  little 
thing  in  common  between  this  advanced  young 

123 


LIBERTY    HALL 

person  and  the  girls  he  was  familiar  with,  and 
his  look  of  serious  concern  made  Alberta  color. 

"I  can  make  canton-flannel  toys,"  she  re- 
turned, laughing.  "I've  promised  to  make  some 
for  the  fair.  My  cousin,  Miss  Dollery  Wiseman, 
is  on  the  committee.  But  what  has  that  got  to 
do  with  women's  right  to  do  the  big  things — to 
vote  and  do  business  out  in  the  world?" 

"Hurrah  for  the  flannel  toys!"  said  young 
Mallony.  "I'll  buy  every  one  that's  on  sale, 
that  I  will,  if  it  takes  my  bottom  dime,  just  to 
encourage  feminine  industry!  And  I  won't  give 
you  away,  either,  or  you  might  be  mobbed. 
Suffrage  isn't  a  popular  topic  around  here. 
We're  about  at  the  end  of  our  walk,  I'm  think- 
ing." He  turned  to  let  the  others  come  up. 

Alberta  wondered,  for  the  first  time,  where 
the  luncheon  was  that  had  been  spoken  of;  she 
couldn't  ask,  as  she  had  not  contributed  to  it. 
But  as  the  troop  entered  the  gates  of  the  old 
Ketcham  place,  and  penetrated  the  dense  woods 
that  lay  beyond,  she  saw  a  pretty,  cleared  piece 
of  ground,  with  a  white  table-cloth  spread  out 
over  flat  stones,  and  an  ancient  darky  hovering 
over  a  couple  of  big  baskets.  Beyond  was  an 
iron  kettle  strung  up  over  two  forked  sticks, 
with  a  pile  of  wood  underneath  ready  to  light. 
So  this  was  the  kind  of  picnicking  these  indolent 

124 


LIBERTY    HALL 

young  people  had!  Everything  done  for  them. 
No  struggling  to  gather  sticks  in  the  woods,  no 
labor  of  cooking.  Well,  it  was  easy,  and  maybe 
not  so  bad  after  that  long  walk. 

The  younger  boys  raised  a  war-whoop.  "  Hul- 
lo, Uncle  Peter!  All  O.  K.  there?  Plenty  of 
provisions  for  hungry  hunters,  hey?" 

"Plenty,  sir;  plenty  o'  sweet  things,  too, 
missies.  Old  Mary  seen  to  that.  When  does 
yo'-all  want  lunch?" 

"Oh,  not  for  ever  so  long,"  said  Miriam.  "  Do 
we,  girls?  Let's  gather  some  autumn  leaves  to 
trim  the  table." 

"Let's  go  fishing,"  said  her  brother  George. 
"I've  the  lines,  and  poles  are  easy." 

"No  fish  in  that  stream!" 

"Frogs,  then.  Who  knows  how  to  do  frogs' 
legs?" 

"Not  I!"  was  the  answering  chorus. 

Tom  turned  to  Alberta  with  mock  politeness ; 
a  wicked  light  twinkled  in  his  blue  eyes. 

"This  young  lady  is  au  fait  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  most — ahem!  up-to-date 
housekeeping.  Perfectly  capable  of  taking 
charge  of  a  club  lunch  or  restaurant  supper! 
Can  do  anything  in  the  way  of  fancy  catering, 
from  fruit-cake  to — lobster.  Say,  fellows,"  in 
an  aside,  "I'd  just  give  my  boots  to  lay  hands 

125 


LIBERTY    HALL 

on  a  live  crab  or  so.  Do  you  give  me  the 
dare?" 

"Where  the  deuce  are  you  going  to  get  crabs?" 
demanded  his  friends,  as  they  all  drew  off,  leav- 
ing the  girls  together,  engaged  in  the  pleasant 
pastime  of  gathering  the  leaves  that  lay  here 
and  there  beneath  the  trees.  Most  of  them  were 
now  brown  and  dull;  but  those  that  were  still 
colored  were  very  beautiful.  Alberta  cast  a 
longing  glance  at  the  group  that  moved  off;  she 
would  much  rather  have  gone  fishing. 

The  next  hour  passed  agreeably  enough.  The 
girls  were  all  cheerful,  amiable,  and  inclined  to 
try  to  make  the  stranger  enjoy  herself.  As  a 
Junior  among  Sophomores  she  was  looked  up  to, 
and  what  she  said  listened  to  with  respect.  But 
she  secretly  thought  the  talk  rather  juvenile  and 
the  diversions  they  resorted  to,  now  that  the 
boys  were  not  there,  somewhat  trifling.  They 
did  a  little  in  the  way  of  amateur  palmistry, 
pretending  to  read  one  another's  fortunes.  Mir- 
iam, the  most  sprightly  and  original,  predicted, 
from  a  view  of  Alberta's  square,  strongly  lined 
palm,  that  she  was  "going  to  have  a  career" !  It 
was  a  teasing  prophecy,  meant  altogether  in 
fun,  for  any  serious  thought  of  the  kind  would 
have  been  construed  by  the  others  as  unpleasant. 

"Glad  of  that,"  said  Alberta,  rearing  her  head 
126 


LIBERTY    HALL 

a  little  with  a  proud  smile.  "I  do  mean  to  do 
something  worth  while  in  the  world,  if  I  can 
get  a  chance." 

"Reckon  there's  not  much  variety  in  what  we 
can  all  do,"  said  pretty  Mabel  Ross,  arranging 
the  pink  bow  on  her  dark  hair  and  critically 
scrutinizing  her  patent-leather  ties.  "Say,  girls, 
next  time  I'm  coming  out  in  tennis  togs,  like 
Alberta.  It's  a  heap  more  sensible."  But  she 
did  not  mean  it. 

"Is,  too,"  retorted  Sarah  Adams.  "There's 
making  cake  for  the  boys  to  devour,  and  danc- 
ing, and  sport.  I,  for  one,  am  going  in  for  sport. 
I'm  sick  of  these  eternal  dances,  where  we  fat 
ones  have  to  sit  against  the  wall  till  some  old 
gentleman  like  Mr.  Hinsdale  asks  us  out, 
through  pity.  It's  all  well  enough  for  you 
beauties,"  and  there  was  a  stifled  sigh  from  the 
plain  girl  that  made  Alberta  look  at  her 
sympathetically . 

"But  besides  amusements,"  she  said,  ener- 
getically, "of  course,  we  all  like  pretty  much  the 
same  kind  of  fun.  But  when  we  think  about 
the  real  thing — the — the  work  we  are  going  to 
do  when  we  are  quite  grown  up  and  that  we 
have  to  prepare  ourselves  for,  then  we  don't 
agree  so  well.  There's  always  been  the  idea 
that  a  woman  can  do  nothing  except  teach  and 

127 


LIBERTY    HALL 

sew.  But  now  the  world  is  waking  up  to  other 
ideas.  Women  can  do  anything  men  can  do. 
For  my  part,  I'm — " 

"Going  on  the  lecture  racket?"  put  in  Mabel, 
demurely.  Her  little  blond  face  was  devoid  of 
all  malice,  but  enthusiasm  was  quieted  as  if  a 
dash  of  ice-water  had  been  flung. 

"Not  at  present,  at  any  rate,"  returned  Al- 
berta, as  good-naturedly  as  she  could.  She 
drew  back  a  little  and  began  pinning  bright 
leaves  together  to  make  a  wreath,  working  as  if 
her  life  depended  on  it.  Why  couldn't  she  have 
kept  quiet,  and  not  antagonized  these  girls,  as 
she  had  been  warned  might  come  about  if  she 
aired  her  "advanced"  views  about  women? 
Tom  had  had  her  interest  at  heart,  and  she  was 
a  goose  for  not  minding  him.  Now  the  pleasant 
atmosphere  had  changed  and  she  was  to  blame. 

But  her  companions  were  not  so  touchy  as 
she  had  feared.  In  a  few  minutes  the  tongues 
were  running  as  fast  as  before  and  she  was 
again  consulted  and  drawn  into  the  circle.  Evi- 
dently her  speech  was  discounted  as  a  mere 
piece  of  cleverness.  She  consoled  herself  by 
recollecting  that  they  were  only  Sophomores, 
after  all — her  juniors  in  everything  but  years. 
Travel  and  association  with  her  father,  who  was 
a  man  of  broad  and  original  mind,  had  devel- 

128 


LIBERTY    HALL 

oped  Alberta  more  rapidly  than  girls  whose 
companions  are  mostly  women,  and  she  had 
hard  work,  sometimes,  to  adapt  herself  to  the 
type  of  girl  whose  ideas  were  more  limited. 
Occasionally  she  experienced  the  truth  of  the 
saying  that  "a  little  knowledge  is  a  dangerous 
thing,"  for  she  had  to  check  in  herself  an  inclina- 
tion toward  conceit.  She  knew  this  was  her 
fault,  and  honestly  tried  to  correct  it. 

"Alberta,  will  you  come  over  to  our  place  to 
play  tennis  next  Saturday?"  asked  Miriam. 
"We'd  love  to  have  you." 

But  Mabel  Ross  put  in:  "Why,  you  forget, 
Mim,  Alberta  belongs  to  the  Young  Folks',  and 
she  can  play  any  time  on  the  splendid  Beacham 
grounds.  She  won't  give  up  a  Saturday  over 
there  for  our  little,  insignificant  society." 

"I've  not  played  on  their  grounds  yet,"  said 
Alberta,  quickly.  "I  believe  I  was  elected  a 
member,  but  I've  not  gone  to  any  of  the  meet- 
ings. I  hardly  know  whether  I  shall." 

The  girls  exchanged  glances.  Sarah  said, 
frankly:  "You  are  modest!  If  any  of  us  had  a 
chance  to  get  in  that  club  you  wouldn't  see  us 
missing  our  privileges!  Why,  they  have  swell 
affairs!" 

"That's  the  trouble,"  returned  Alberta,  and 
her  quiet  tone  concealed  inward  dismay.  "I'm 

129 


LIBERTY    HALL 

not  going  in  for  social  enjoyments  just  now. 
Don't  you  think  we  really  have  all  we  can  do 
with  our  school-work?" 

"Oh,  I  reckon  they  don't  carry  it  very  far," 
said  Miriam,  easily.  "A  fortnightly  dance,  and 
some  little  rackets  in  between  times  is  the  extent 
of  the  dissipation.  No  fear  of  overdoing  in  any- 
thing Hannah  Beacham  leads.  And  she  and 
Minnie  are  the  leaders  of  the  Young  Folks', 
though  Gladys  tries  to  have  her  say.  But  we— 
our  set — just  look  over  the  fence.  Never  mind, 
we  have  our  own  good  times.  Say,  Sarah, 
wouldn't  it  be  fun  to  get  up  a  rival  club  of  our 
own — about  a  dozen  of  us?  Isn't  that  a  good 
idea!  How  many  could  we  get  together?" 

"Well,  the  boys  would  help  us.  That  is,  if  we 
cut  out  dancing  and  have  games  and  sports. 
We  might  have  skating  parties— 

"Splendid!  That  would  be  a  feature.  Old 
Mr.  Ketcham  will  let  us  have  his  lake;  I'm 
positive  of  it.  And  it's  the  best  ever  for  skating 
on.  The  Young  Folks'  will  howl,  for  they  can't 
get  such  a  sheet  of  water.  Oh,  this  is  fine!" 

"You  put  Alberta  in  a  hole  when  you  say  we 
are  going  to  try  to  rival  the  other  club,"  said 
Sarah,  reading  rightly  their  guest's  perturbed 
expression.  "So  long  as  she's  a  member  of  the 
other  she  can't  join  us,  unless  we  put  the  idea 

130 


LIBERTY    HALL 

of  rivalry  out  of  our  minds  and  start  a  club  to 
enjoy  ourselves  in  our  own  way.  Isn't  that  so?" 

Three  pairs  of  eyes  searched  the  candid  face 
of  the  Western  girl,  who  acknowledged  that  loy- 
alty to  the  club  she  belonged  to  must  prevent 
any  other  membership,  although  there  was  an 
informality  and  a  heartiness  about  these  girls 
which  made  their  society  much  more  agreeable 
than  that  of  the  conventional  set  composed  of 
the  Seniors.  She  felt  that  she  was  now  at  the 
parting  of  the  ways  and  that  on  her  decision 
much  would  depend. 

"Tell  you  what,"  suggested  Mabel,  who  had 
the  intuitiveness  that  smooths  over  little  mis- 
understandings, "don't  let's  have  a  formal  club, 
but  just  a  little  agreement  among  ourselves  to 
meet  at  certain  times  and  do  things.  I  have  an 
aunt  who  belongs  to  a  woman's  club  in  New 
York,  and  when  she  comes  to  visit  us  she  gets 
mother  excited  about  what  women  do  there. 
You've  no  idea,  girls,  how  alive  those  women 
are.  They  study  everything  in  the  world,  and 
are  forever  traveling  about  and  stirring  up 
people  all  over  the  country  to — to  reform  things, 
you  know.  I  think  it's  fine,  and  I  beg  your 
pardon,  Alberta,  for  what  I  said  about  the  lec- 
ture racket.  I've  been  having  a  little  think  all 
to  myself,  and  I  think  it  would  be  splendiferous 


LIBERTY    HALL 

to  start  something  original.  How  would  a  Do- 
Good  Club  answer?  We  might  think  of  par- 
ticular things  to  do,  you  know — " 

"Charity?"  put  in  Sarah,  doubtfully. 

"  Giving  talks  on  women's  rights  among  the 
poor,  down-trodden  whites?"  interposed  Miriam, 
wickedly.  "  Telling  them  about  their  privileges 
so  they  won't  be  submitting  to  all  kinds  of  im- 
positions, you  know.  Say,  Sallie,  it  seems  to 
me  we're  getting  into  deep  water.  Can't  you 
help  us  out,  Alberta?  We  want  a  club — an  in- 
formal club  that  stands  for  something  solid,  so  we 
shall  be  respected,  and  that  combines  amuse- 
ment with  it,  so  we  won't  perish  of  goodness!" 

Alberta  went  into  a  deep  study,  and  the  other 
three  watched  her  smilingly,  only  half  serious 
about  their  plan.  But  she  had  seen  a  real 
opportunity  in  it  which  she  couldn't  neglect. 

"I  do  wish  we  could  have  something  like  a 
current  events  club,"  she  said,  slowly,  feeling 
her  way,  for  her  ideas  were  misty.  "It  seems 
to  me  that  we  need  to  know  more  about  what 
the  world  is  doing;  we  are  so  shut  off  from 
things  in  this  little  town.  All  little  towns  get 
narrow.  Suppose  we —  Do  any  of  your  families 
take  a  New  York  newspaper?" 

"We  take  the  Louisville  Courier- Journal.  But, 
say,  aren't  the  newspapers  stupid?  And  all  full 

132 


LIBERTY    HALL 

of  dreadful  things,  anyway.  My  mother  says 
women  really  don't  need  to  read  about  murders 
and  awful  things  of  that  sort.  I  like  the  Family 
Story  Paper,  though;  Tom  takes  it,  and  he  has 
brought  it  over  once  or  twice." 

"No  murders  or  dreadful  things  in  that?" 
asked  Alberta,  quietly. 

Miriam  blushed.  "I  reckon  you're  right, 
there.  It  is  rather  yellow.  But  what  good 
would  we  get  out  of  reading  newspapers?" 

"I  have  only  a  vague  idea,  but  I  think  we 
ought  to  be  in  things  more — know  more  about 
what  is  happening  out  in  the  world,  you  know. 
And  then  we  could  do  something  or  other  for 
— maybe  for  the  town.  Why,  girls,  why  couldn't 
we  be  a  juvenile  aid  society,  to  help  on  municipal 
reforms?" 

This  grandiloquent  appeal  made  them  all 
laugh,  even  the  speaker,  and  they  had  not 
settled  on  anything,  although  a  germ  had  been 
sown  that  was  not  to  be  lost,  when  the  boys 
swept  in  like  a  breeze.  Tom  carried  a  basket, 
and  poles  hung  from  the  shoulders  of  the  others. 

"Hullo!  here  we  are,  according  to  promise, 
with  fish!  Now,  ladies,  we  are  going  to  make 
one  bargain.  You  must  cook  what  we  have 
caught!  Uncle  Peter  may  do  all  the  rest,  but 
this  is  your  little  job.  Bargain?" 

133 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"I  don't  know  anything  more  about  cooking 
than  I  do  about  flying,"  exclaimed  Mabel,  and 
Miriam  and  Sarah  proclaimed  an  equal  igno- 
rance. Mallony  gravely  deposited  his  basket  at 
the  feet  of  Alberta. 

"Then  you're  the  only  one  to  try  it  on.  I 
dare  you  to  cook  these  fish!" 

"I  take  the  dare,"  answered  the  girl,  merrily. 
"But  if  they're  awful  messes  you'll  have  to  eat 
them  just  the  same.  You'll  play  fair,  won't 
you?" 

The  boys  exchanged  glances  of  dismay,  but 
George  cried  out:  "That's  only  fair,  fellows! 
We'll  eat  all  she  cooks.  Say,  yes!"  And  it  was 
so  decided.  Alberta  took  up  the  basket,  which 
seemed  to  her  to  have  very  squirmy,  wabbly 
contents,  and  carried  it  toward  the  far  end  of 
the  grounds.  If  she  had  to  handle  fish  she 
didn't  want  to  be  seen  doing  it,  being  mortally 
sure  that  she  should  make  all  sorts  of  faces  over 
her  task. 

Suddenly  she  bethought  herself  and  stopped 
short.  The  boys  looked  toward  her  consciously 
and  Tom's  mouth  curled  in  a  knowing  smile. 
He  had  made  a  bet  with  the  rest  that  all  the 
girls  would  refuse  to  touch  the  fish. 

"Are  they — cleaned?"  called  poor  Alberta, 
who  really  was  dreading  to  open  that  basket 

134 


LIBERTY    HALL 

and  look  on  the  bleeding  fish  she  pictured  vividly 
to  herself. 

Miriam's  elder  brother,  a  quiet,  gentlemanly 
fellow,  who  had  been  regarding  Alberta's  little 
bluff  with  pitying  eyes,  was  remonstrating  in  a 
low  voice  with  the  other  two  boys. 

"What's  the  harm?  She'll  drop  the  basket 
the  instant  she  gets  the  cover  off,"  returned 
Tom,  "and  we're  all  here.  Bet  you  she's  only 
angry,  and  not  frightened.  She's  true  grit, 
all  right.  Yes,  they're  even  washed,"  he  called 
out,  and  Alberta  set  the  basket  on  a  rock  and 
gingerly  removed  the  lid,  rolling  up  the  sleeves 
of  her  blouse  and  setting  her  teeth,  for  she  really 
detested  this  sort  of  work. 

Something  in  Tom's  tone,  however,  warned 
her — a  mere  hint  of  mischief  that  made  the  rec- 
ollection of  what  Miriam  had  said  about  his 
liking  for  practical  joking  flash  upon  her.  The 
instant  she  suspected  a  trick  she  was  relieved, 
for  no  trick  seemed  to  her  more  obnoxious  than 
the  drudgery  of  busying  herself  with  the  fish 
she  imagined  lay  in  the  basket.  So  she  whipped 
the  cover  off  quickly,  and  then  gave  a  small 
spring  backward,  using  all  her  resolution  to 
suppress  the  scream  that  came  to  her  lips.  She 
congratulated  herself  that  she  had  been  able  to 
avoid  crying  out.  It  was  what  that  wicked 

10  135 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Tom  had  hoped  for,  and  she  had  disappointed 
him. 

Out  from  the  basket  crept  a  couple  of  dark 
water-snakes,  tiny  but  hideous  to  any  feminine 
eyes;  out  leaped  two  frogs,  out  crawled  a  mud- 
turtle,  and  then  there  lay  at  the  bottom  a 
single  miserable  eel,  wriggling  and  twisting  in 
a  way  that  made  her  ill,  even  in  the  swift  glance 
she  cast  on  it  before  covering  the  whole  crowd  of 
ugly  creatures  with  the  basket  lid,  thrown  with 
excellent  aim.  Skirting  the  heap,  she  caught  up 
the  basket  with  its  one  edible  occupant  and, 
forcing  a  laugh  from  lips  that  quivered,  she 
turned  toward  the  crowd  that  was  watching  her 
closely,  while  pretending  to  keep  up  a  volley  of 
talk,  and  cried  out,  as  she  walked  toward  the 
improvised  kitchen: 

"That's  all  right,  boys!  I'm  going  to  cook 
the  eel  for  you  and  you  must  eat  it!  I  think 
you'll  find  I  have  the  best  of  the  bargain,  after 
all." 

"Now  we're  in  for  it,"  said  George,  and  his 
sister  retorted: 

"Serves  you-all  right!  I  hope  she  covers  it 
with  red  pepper.  Go  straight  off  and  do  away 
with  those  horrid  things,  or  we'll  all  break  camp. 
Aren't  you  ashamed  of  yourself,  Tom?" 

"Yes'm,"  answered  that  young  gentleman, 
136 


LIBERTY    HALL 

meekly.  "  Come  on,  fellows/'  The  three  got  up 
and,  providing  themselves  with  switches,  went 
after  their  prey,  which  by  this  time  had  made 
itself  so  scarce  that  they  had  a  brave  hunt  before 
they  could  return  to  report  that  the  grounds 
were  now  clear  of  all  nuisances.  They  knew 
that  otherwise  the  girls  would  fulfil  their  threats. 

"Alberta,  come  back  and  enjoy  yourself," 
called  Tom.  "We'll  let  you  off.  You've  proved 
your  mettle." 

"Not  a  little  bit,"  returned  the  girl.  She  had 
been  busying  herself  with  various  mysterious 
articles  in  bottles,  and,  having  entered  into  the 
spirit  of  the  experience,  she  had  no  mind  to 
leave  it  incomplete.  Presently  she  washed  her 
hands  in  a  bowl  old  Peter  obsequiously  held  for 
her,  and  sauntered  back  to  the  group  with  a 
smile  of  sly  enjoyment  that  made  Tom  very 
uneasy.  He  rolled  on  the  grass  back  of  the  big 
tree  under  which  they  had  spread  a  rug,  and 
started  to  moan  in  a  low  voice. 

"Get  out,"  said  Andrew  Carruthers,  punching 
him. 

"I'm  feeling  very  sick.  Fishing  always  did 
get  my  nerve.  Can't  bear  the  sight  of  bait.  An 
inherited  weakness.  Mother  can't,  either." 

"Dinner's  all  ready,  ladies!"  said  the  grinning 
Peter,  and  the  crowd  approached  the  prettily 

137 


LIBERTY    HALL 

dressed  table,  laden  with  good  things.  The 
Carruthers'  cook  was  an  adept,  and  everything 
that  young  people  like  had  been  provided. 

"Fust  coase  for  the  ladies"  solemnly  said 
old  Peter,  who  had  been  instructed.  And  he 
deposited  before  each  of  the  girls  a  small  plate 
of  raw  oysters,  with  bits  of  ice  and  lemon,  that 
made  the  boys  envious.  Oysters  are  a  delicacy 
appreciated  in  the  Blue  Grass  region,  for  they 
have  to  be  imported  from  the  coast. 

"And  how  about  us?"  demanded  George, 
beginning  to  be  apprehensive. 

"Fust  coase  for  the  gen'lemen,"  announced 
Peter,  keeping  his  face  straight  with  difficulty. 
He  put  before  the  boys  small  dishes  containing 
something  very  brown  and  tempting-looking, 
but  they  looked  at  it  with  deep  distrust,  expect- 
ing to  make  hasty  excuses  for  rapid  retirement 
from  the  company  when  they  tasted  it. 

"Face  the  music,"  muttered  Tom,  and  dived 
at  the  brown  morsel.  He  tasted  it,  and  his  face 
flushed;  he  tasted  it  again,  and  smiled.  "By 
George!  you're  a  brick,  Miss  Alberta!"  he  cried. 
" I  beg  your  pardon  for  my  stupid  joke!  Noth- 
ing to  fear,  fellows.  Miss  Alberta  has  turned 
the  tables  on  us,  and  we're  going  to  give  her 
the  finest  box  of  candy  she's  ever  seen  in  her 
life!" 

'3* 


LIBERTY    HALL 

4 *  Hurrah!"  shouted  George,  and  plunged  a 
fork  into  the  dish  before  him.  "Why,  it's  fried 
oysters!  Best  ever,  too.  My  compliments, 
Miss  Alberta.  Did  you  really  cook  these 
yourself?" 

"Peter  showed  me  how,"  said  Alberta,  smil- 
ing. "But  that  wasn't  breaking  our  bargain, 
was  it?  The — eel  really  wasn't  fit  to  eat,  so  I 
thought  you  wouldn't  mind  if  I  substituted 
something  better." 

"It's  mighty  small  punishment  for  our  sins, 
to  eat  'em  cooked  instead  of  raw,"  answered 
Tom,  who  would,  however,  have  preferred  the 
oysters  without  the  aid  of  fire.  "You're  the 
most  magnanimous  girl  I  know.  If  this  is  what 
comes  of  being  strong-minded,  mum,  commend 
me  to  'em  that  way!"  he  added  in  a  stage  aside, 
for  Tom  had  to  have  his  joke. 

They  ate  with  the  enjoyment  of  healthy 
young  creatures  to  whom  indigestion  is  un- 
known: patties,  salad,  cold  fowl,  and  pie,  with 
nuts  and  fruit  to  follow.  Tom  ostentatiously 
unbuttoned  his  waistcoat  and  proposed  a  toast 
to  the  ladies,  in  lemonade;  then  they  left  the 
table  to  old  Peter,  and  went  rowing  in  two  boats 
on  the  toy  lake.  Alberta  found  herself  allotted 
to  Andrew  and  Sarah,  while  the  rest  crushed 
into  the  larger  flatboat,  tilting  with  their  weight. 

139 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Tisn't  fair!"  shouted  George.  "All  the 
steady,  sensible  folks  in  one  boat  and  all  the 
giddy  ones  in  this.  Take  Tom  over  there,  or 
this  craft  will  upset!" 

"Dare  me?"  shouted  Tom,  and,  doffing  his 
sweater,  he  plunged  into  the  shallow  water, 
swam,  with  much  display  of  effort,  toward  the 
other  boat,  and  caught  hold  of  its  side. 

" Get  off!"  cried  Andrew,  waving  his  oar.  And 
"Please  go  away!"  exclaimed  the  girls,  drawing 
their  garments  away  from  the  proximity  of  the 
wet  figure. 

"Oh,  let  a  drowning  fellow  in!  Come,  Miss 
Alberta,  you're  not  afraid  of  a  few  drops  of 
water?  I'll  sit  tight  and  not  touch  either  of 
you."  And  Tom  made  such  a  pathetic  face 
that  they  relented  and  let  him  draw  himself  in, 
although  he  had  to  sit  on  the  bottom  and  huddle 
up  in  a  heap,  which  gave  him  excellent  chances 
to  perform  antics  for  their  amusement.  He 
kept  them  in  a  gale  of  mirth ;  but  once  or  twice 
Alberta,  in  the  intervals  of  talking  and  laugh- 
ing, saw  a  fleeting  look  on  the  young  fellow's 
face  that  was  new  to  her.  It  came  and  went  like 
a  flash,  but  it  puzzled  her,  for  it  seemed  wholly 
unlike  the  merry,  careless  Tom.  She  remem- 
bered something  her  father  had  once  told  her — 
that  the  happiest  natures  often  show  a  mel- 

140 


LIBERTY    HALL 

ancholy  streak;  as  if,  after  running  a  certain 
length  of  sheer  folly,  they  are  compelled  to  stop 
and  realize  that  they  miss  something  that  more 
earnest  people  got  out  of  life.  This  was  a  holi- 
day to  her  and  she  could  throw  herself  into  it 
without  fear  that  the  relapse  into  even  childish 
fun  would  hurt  her.  But  Tom  was  profession- 
ally funny ;  if  there  should  come  a  time  when  he 
wanted  to  be  taken  seriously  he  might  find  it 
hard  to  make  people  believe  in  him.  His  look 
told  her  so  much.  But  it  was  gone  almost  be- 
fore she  knew  what  it  meant,  and  the  lad  was 
going  on  more  extravagantly  than  before. 

When  rowing  became  tiresome,  they  went 
ashore  and  played  games;  "I  spy,"  in  the 
woods,  and  then  croquet,  on  a  nice  bit  of  turf. 
It  was  a  hundred  years,  all  the  girls  declared, 
since  they  had  seen  such  an  old-fashioned  thing 
as  a  croquet  mallet,  but  it  wasn't  half  bad  to- 
day, when  they  had  all  become  children  again. 
It  was  sunset  before  they  climbed  into  the  great 
wagon  Mrs.  Carruthers  had  sent  for  them,  to  go 
home.  Alberta  was  taken  on  after  the  rest  had 
reached  their  harbor,  but  Mallony  gallantly  in- 
sisted on  accompanying  her  to  her  gate,  so  she 
would  not  be  lonesome.  He  was  now  having 
one  of  those  fits  of  disgust  over  his  nonsense 
which  attack  such  light  souls.  And  because  he 

141 


LIBERTY    HALL 

wanted  the  respect  of  this  Western  girl,  he 
blurted  out  an  apology : 

"I  say,  Miss  Alberta — I  hope  you  don't  think 
I'm  just  a  jolly  dunce,  you  know.  I've  got  into 
a  way  of  talking  and  carrying  on  with  the  kids, 
but  I  don't  want  you  to  think  I  haven't  any 
sense.  Now,  do  you?" 

"Of  course  you  have  sense,"  said  Alberta, 
cheerfully.  "We  wouldn't  have  had  half  as 
much  fun  if  you  hadn't  let  yourself  go.  I've 
had  a  splendid  time.  Thank  you  for  it." 

"You're  a — a — peach,"  declared  Tom.  Then 
he  helped  her  down  from  the  wagon  with  care 
and  took  off  his  hat  with  great  dignity  as  she 
entered  her  gate. 


CHAPTER  IX 

DOTTY,  too,  had  been  having  a  splendid 
time  that  day.  As  soon  as  Mrs.  Knight 
had  turned  her  back  the  fun  began.  Clarissa 
suggested  that  they  go  up  into  the  garret,  and 
there,  of  course,  they  discovered  the  setting  hen. 
But  the  little  darky  was  too  superstitious  to 
touch  her,  and  gave  her  a  wide  berth.  She  in- 
duced Dotty  to  open  an  old  trunk  and  haul  out 
some  ancient  finery  that  it  contained.  Then 
they  both  proceeded  to  "dress  up,"  in  the 
trailing  dresses  of  Dotty's  grandmother,  and 
finally,  on  a  common  impulse,  they  slipped  down 
the  outside  steps,  while  Martha  was  engaged  in 
the  kitchen,  and  went  out  on  the  street,  where 
they  sauntered  along  with  the  languid  air  of 
fashionable  ladies. 

The  few  people  they  met  grinned  at  them,  and 
one  woman  told  them  they  ought  to  be  ashamed 
of  themselves,  dragging  good  clothes  in  the  dust 
that  way.  This  made  Dotty  look  down  at  her 
plaid  silk  frock  and  she  was  alarmed  by  the 

us 


LIBERTY    HALL 

condition  it  was  in.  But  Clarissa  was  having 
the  time  of  her  life  and  could  not  be  persuaded 
to  change  the  game.  She  changed  from  the  cos- 
tume she  had  first  chosen  to  another,  and  not 
until  the  contents  of  the  trunk  was  exhausted 
and  she  had  tried  on  everything  in  it  could  she 
be  coaxed  to  do  something  else.  Then  she  was 
ready  to  propose  another  piece  of  mischief. 

"Them  chickens  is  dyin'  for  mo'  room  to 
scratch,"  she  said,  wickedly.  "Le's  open  the 
ole  gate  an'  give  'em  a  chance." 

"But  they'll  scratch  up  the  flowers,"  objected 
Dotty. 

"Pooh!  Them  ole  flowers  ain't  no  'count, 
no  way.  Only  sunflowers  an'  gillyflowers  an' 
sech.  My  grandma's  got  white  blows  an'  red 
blows  an'  yellow  blows  in  her  yard.  Sun- 
flowers is  meant  fo'  fowls,  an'  Mrs.  Knight's 
mean  not  to  let  hern  have  'em." 

"We'll  have  to  watch  them,"  said  Dotty, 
yielding.  So  Clarissa  opened  the  dividing  gate 
between  the  chicken-yard  and  the  front  yard, 
and  with  much  care,  watching  her  chance  while 
Martha  was  out  of  the  way,  "shooed"  all  the 
chickens  toward  the  front  of  the  house.  Then 
she  shut  the  gate  again.  It  was  fun  to  her  to 
see  the  way  the  chickens  went  for  the  straggling 
flower-beds,  from  sheer  spite  at  being  so  long 

144 


LIBERTY    HALL 

kept  from  them.  In  half  an  hour  the  front  yard 
looked  like  a  piece  of  ground  where  excavations 
for  building  have  been  begun. 

Martha,  having  been  conscientiously  at  work 
on  her  wash,  now  began  to  prepare  a  nice  little 
dinner  for  the  children,  without  the  least  sus- 
picion of  what  they  had  been  about  during  her 
devotion  to  the  tub.  The  old  place  was  big 
enough  for  a  regiment  to  bivouac  in.  When  she 
set  the  table  under  the  big  oak-tree  near  the 
back-kitchen  door  she  could  not  see  into  either 
the  chicken-yard  or  the  garden,  and,  having 
no  mind  to  go  after  the  children,  wherever 
they  might  be,  she  merely  screamed  to  them: 
"Come  along,  now,  and  git  yo'  dinner!" 

"Dare  we  leave  the  chickens  here?"  asked 
Dotty,  anxiously,  and  Clarissa,  eager  for  her 
dinner,  declared  that  they  dared  and  would. 
Dotty  Lewis  was  not  by  any  means  a  weakling 
in  nature,  or  easily  deluded;  but  Clarissa  had 
fascinated  her,  and  for  the  time  being  exercised 
an  influence  that  it  was  agreeable  to  feel.  She 
let  herself  follow  the  lead  of  that  enterprising 
infant,  two  full  years  her  junior,  but  wise  in  a 
hundred  methods  of  mischief  that  Dotty  had 
not  dreamed  of. 

Old  Martha  sat  at  the  table  with  them  and 
helped  the  white  child  first.  "  Min'  yo'  manners, 

us 


LIBERTY    HALL 

now,"  she  admonished  Clarissa,  who  had  her 
elbows  on  the  table.  "I  ain't  gwine  have  no 
impoliteness  when  yo'  eats  with  a  little  white 
lady,  nor  no  other  time  when  I's  present." 

So  Clarissa  made  huge  efforts  to  please  the 
old  darky,  to  the  end  of  getting  her  share  of  a 
more  bountiful  meal  than  had  been  served  in 
that  household  for  many  a  day. 

"What  yo'  been  doin'  all  the  mornin'?  I 
'ain't  heard  a  sound  from  you,"  asked  Martha, 
once.  Dotty  would  have  blurted  out  the  story 
of  their  misdeeds,  for  she  was  not  in  the  least 
afraid,  but  Clarissa  stepped  on  her  foot.  She 
would  not  get  her  companion  into  trouble,  so 
she  let  her  answer,  and  the  answer,  although  not 
strictly  true,  was  not  wholly  a  falsehood. 
Martha  was  satisfied  that  everything  was  going 
well. 

"I's  got  the  sprinklin'  to  do,  now,"  she  said, 
as  she  gathered  up  the  dishes  and  set  them  aside. 
"Go  'long  and  be  good  children.  After  a  while 
I's  gwine  make  some  gingerbread  for  you." 

"Isn't  Martha  a  duck?"  asked  Dotty,  as  the 
pair  went  slowly  to  the  old  swing  in  the  orchard, 
where  no  trees  bore  fruit  nowadays,  and  cuddled 
into  it  together. 

Clarissa  nodded.  She  felt  drowsy  from  her 
big  meal,  and  was  soon  asleep.  Dotty  patiently 

146 


waited  for  her  to  wake  up  again,  softly  swinging 
to  and  fro,  with  her  eyes  on  the  front  yard, 
which  she  could  only  see  vaguely  through  the 
fence. 

Suddenly,  restored  by  her  nap,  the  little 
darky  sat  up  and  winked.  Her  monkey  face 
struck  Dotty  more  comically  than  ever  before 
and  she  laughed. 

"What  yo'  a-laughin'  at?"  asked  Clarissa, 
with  a  scowl. 

"You're  so  funny,  with  your  little  pigtails. 
Who  does  them  up  that  way  for  you?" 

"Lemme  plait  yours,"  said  Clarissa,  eagerly. 
"I'll  be  the  ole  witch  and  tie  yo'  ha'r  up  into 
knots.  See?" 

"No  indeed  you  won't!"  cried  Dotty,  holding 
fast  to  her  curls  and  drawing  back  from  the 
skinny  fingers  trying  to  clutch  at  her  head. 
"Your  hands  are  not  clean,  either.  Why  don't 
you  go  and  wash  at  the  hydrant  in  the  kitchen?" 

"  Dasn't,"  muttered  the  other.  "  Tell  yo'  what 
— I'll  wash  if  you  takes  me  up  to  yo'  own  room. 
Willyo'?" 

Dotty  saw  no  reason  why  the  other  child 
should  not  use  the  bowl  she  used  herself.  The 
old  house  had  no  bath-room,  and  Alberta,  who 
at  first  had  much  trouble  about  hot  water, 
finally  brought  up  a  tin  foot-tub  and  carried 

147 


LIBERTY    HALL 

water  up-stairs  in  pitchers  every  morning. 
Clarissa  was  now  in  the  seventh  heaven  of  de- 
light, with  the  girls'  room  to  rummage  in.  She 
performed  a  slight  operation  with  a  damp  towel, 
for  she  hated  cold  water  like  a  cat,  and  then 
began  to  investigate  the  bureau  drawers.  Sud- 
denly she  felt  a  firm  clutch  on  her  arm,  and 
Dotty,  using  her  strength,  forced  her  away  from 
the  bureau. 

"You  mustn't  touch  those  things.  They're 
my  sister's!  You  aren't  nice  at  all,  Clarissa 
Smith,  and  I'm  sorry  I  let  you  come  up  here. 
What's  that  you've  got  in  your  hand?" 

"Nothin'.  You  let  go  me!"  Clarissa's  eyes 
popped  and  she  twisted  away  from  the  little 
hands  holding  her.  She  had  not  meant  to  ap- 
propriate the  gold  brooch  that  she  had  taken 
slyly  into  her  hands,  but  the  spirit  of  contrari- 
ness arose  in  her  and  she  suddenly  resolved  to 
keep  it — at  least  for  a  while.  It  was  not  delib- 
erate stealing,  but  impulsive  naughtiness,  and 
poor  Clarissa,  who  had  never  had  any  one  to 
teach  her  that  playing  at  wrong-doing  is  a 
dangerous  thing,  now  got  into  a  situation  which 
might  have  ended  in  disaster. 

"I  know  you've  got  something!"  persisted 
Dotty,  who  had  not  seen  the  black  fingers  close 
over  their  prey,  but  was  sure  they  had  made  a 

148 


LIBERTY    HALL 

clutch  at  some  object.  "Open  your  hand,  then, 
if  you  haven't  anything  in  it." 

"Sha'n't,  neither,"  muttered  Clarissa.  Seiz- 
ing her  chance,  she  dived  to  the  door,  plunged 
down  the  stairs  and  out  on  to  the  street,  while 
Dotty  followed  her  at  top  speed. 

It  was  an  exciting  chase.  The  little  darky 
was  fleet  of  foot  and  she  knew  her  streets.  Up 
one  and  down  another  she  went,  her  breath 
coming  easily,  for  she  was  thin  and  wiry.  Dotty 
was  resolute,  but  less  expert,  having  almost  lost 
the  art  of  running  since  coming  to  the  South. 
It  would  have  been  difficult  for  any  one  to  keep 
the  imp-like  African  in  sight,  for  she  darted  here 
and  there  like  a  bird,  her  spirit  completely 
aroused  and  all  her  faculties  bent  on  keeping 
out  of  her  pursuer's  sight.  Dotty  often  saw  her 
frock  disappearing  around  a  corner,  but  it  was 
far  away  by  the  time  she  reached  that  spot. 
After  a  little  she  paused  to  rest,  her  breath  gone, 
and  then  she  looked  about  her  and  found  that 
she  was  in  an  unfamiliar  part  of  the  town. 

Dotty  had  not  what  is  called  "the  bump  of 
locality."  It  was  easy  for  her  to  get  lost.  She 
had  never  before  been  alone  on  the  streets.  She 
was  not  half  a  mile  from  home,  but  she  did  not 
know  this,  and  began  to  be  frightened.  She 
called  aloud  to  her  mischievous  acquaintance: 

149 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"  Clarissa!     Clarissa  Smith !" 

"What  yo'  makin*  sech  a  racket  for?"  de- 
manded Clarissa,  suddenly  appearing  at  a  little 
distance.  She  had  remembered  how  easy  it 
would  be  for  Dotty  to  trap  her,  and  that  it  was 
high  time  to  get  herself  out  of  the  fix  she  had 
carelessly  got  into.  "Here's  yo'  ole  breastpin— 
nothin'  but  brass,  anyway,"  she  added.  "What 
yo'  makin'  sech  a  fuss  for?" 

With  a  dexterous  toss  she  cast  the  trinket 
near  enough  to  Dotty  for  her  to  see  where  it 
fell,  then  ran  around  the  nearest  corner,  and 
toward  home,  reflecting  for  the  first  time  on 
certain  consequences  of  her  agreeable  day.  It 
might  be  well  to  run  those  chickens  back  into 
their  yard  before  Martha  discovered  them,  or,  if 
it  was  too  late  for  that,  it  would  be  wise  for  her 
to  go  home.  Then  she  could  plead  that  she 
knew  nothing  about  the  chickens.  She  made  a 
quick  run  for  home,  with  no  idea  that  the  white 
child  could  possibly  be  lost. 

Dotty  picked  up  the  brooch,  a  little  dazed. 
It  was  a  small  bar-pin  that  had  lost  its  fastening, 
and  so  was  useless  to  Alberta  for  the  present. 
The  child  was  glad  to  recover  it,  however,  es- 
pecially because  it  had  been  dreadful  to  her  that 
Clarissa  should  really  take  something  and  that 
she  should  have  to  accuse  her  of  theft.  Holding 


LIBERTY    HALL 

the  pin  fast,  she  tried  to  retrace  her  steps,  but 
she  had  turned  so  many  corners  that  she  was 
wholly  vague  in  her  recollections  and  only  suc- 
ceeded in  putting  more  blocks  between  herself 
and  her  home. 

"Please,  can  you  tell  me  the  way  to  Mrs. 
Knight's  house?"  It  was  a  small,  frightened 
voice,  and  John  Gilpatrick,  walking  briskly 
toward  home,  on  his  return  from  the  station, 
looked  down  from  his  six  feet  on  a  little  girl  who 
was  trying  hard  to  be  self-possessed. 

"Certainly  I  can.  You  —  why,  you  are  little 
Dorothy  Lewis,  aren't  you?" 

"  Yes,  I'm  Dotty.  I  think  I'm  lost,"  and  the 
child  smiled  confidingly  into  the  kind  face  of 
the  young  man. 

John  laughed.  "That  isn't  a  very  serious 
thing,  around  here.  Somebody  would  be  sure 
to  find  you.  But  you  look  tired,  and  we're 
right  at  my  door.  Suppose  you  come  in,  and 
I'll  run  over  to  your  house  and  let  your  sister 
know  where  you  are?" 

"Sister  isn't  home,"  said  Dotty,  with  a  sigh, 
"or  else  I  guess  everything  wouldn't  have  gone 
like  this!" 

"Poor  little  kiddie!  Well,  then,  if  your  sister 
isn't  home  there's  no  need  of  your  hurrying. 
I  have  to  go  in  to  see  about  something,  a  min- 


11 


LIBERTY    HALL 

ute — so  you  just  come  in  and  stay  with  my 
mother.  Here,  up  you  go!"  And  the  tall  young 
man  caught  her  up  in  his  arms  and  swung  her 
to  his  shoulder  as  if  she  had  been  a  feather,  then 
ran  up  the  flight  of  stone  steps  with  her,  and, 
setting  her  down,  put  his  latch-key  in  the  door 
and  had  her  in  the  hall  before  she  could  draw 
her  breath. 

He  led  her  into  a  back  parlor,  or  sitting-room, 
which  was  the  especial  sanctum  of  Mrs.  Gilpat- 
rick.  It  was  full  of  old-fashioned  relics  of  former 
days,  carefully  gathered  to  escape  the  destruc- 
tive hands  of  the  up-to-date  daughter  who  ruled 
over  all  the  rest  of  the  newly  furnished  house 
except  a  certain  territory  on  the  third  floor  into 
which  she  always  entered  softly  and  with  due 
deference  to  its  owner. 

A  bright  wood  fire  burned  on  the  hearth  and 
a  pair  of  brass  fire-dogs  sat  quaintly  before  it. 
Enjoying  the  cheery  warmth  was  Mrs.  Gil- 
patrick,  in  a  rocking-chair  with  red  silk  cushions, 
her  slippered  feet  stretched  out  on  a  stool.  A 
beautiful  Angora  cat  lay  beside  her.  Her  placid, 
good-humored  face  turned  expectantly  toward 
the  door  as  it  opened,  and  she  said,  with  a 
comfortable  laugh: 

"I  reckon  you  needn't  say  you've  come  back 
without  Gladys,  John.  I  knew  she'd  stay  over 

152 


LIBERTY    HALL 

with  her  cousins  till  morning."  Then  her  eyes 
fell  on  Dotty  and  she  started,  her  mouth  open 
in  a  half- whispered  ejaculation. 

''Mother,  here's  a  little  lost  girl.  She's  the 
sister  of  the  young  lady  who  has  come  to  live 
with  her  aunt,  Mrs.  Knight.  You  know  about 
her?"  A  glance  of  intelligence  passed  from 
mother  to  son,  and  the  good  lady  stretched  out 
her  arms  toward  the  child  very  gently,  and  drew 
her  to  her  side.  She  cooed  over  her  and  said 
everything  that  was  kindly  and  gentle,  while 
John  explained  the  situation  as  far  as  he  knew 
it,  which  was  not  very  fully. 

To  Dotty  this  sort  of  petting  and  the  com- 
fortable, pleasant  room,  with  its  suggestion  of 
ease  and  luxury,  was  blissful  after  the  worry  and 
anxiety  of  the  past  hour.  With  great  content 
she  sat  on  the  low  chair  John  drew  up  for  her, 
and  soon  had  the  cat  in  her  arms,  while  the 
motherly  hostess  bustled  about,  hunting  for  a 
box  of  candy — her  chief  business  in  connection 
with  all  children  being  to  provide  them  with 
sweets. 

At  intervals  she  murmured  to  her  son:  "Poor 
child!  poor  little  motherless  girl!  What  in  the 
world  can  Mrs.  Knight  do  with  the  pretty, 
sweet  little  thing?  She's  always  hated  caring 
for  a  child.  Think  of  her  having  one  to  care 


LIBERTY    HALL 

for  when  she  doesn't  know  any  more  about  doing 
it  than  I  do  about  Greek!" 

"Alberta  takes  care  of  me,"  put  in  Dotty,  find- 
ing herself  the  object  of  these  half-confidential 
remarks.  She  dimpled  and  bridled  a  little,  look- 
ing up  with  her  natural,  candid  freedom  into 
the  faces  of  the  strangers.  She  was  not  a  shy 
child,  and  responded  without  awkwardness  to 
advances  from  well-meaning  people,  even  when 
they  did  not  understand  her.  She  felt  that  the 
lady  and  gentleman  here  were  someway  mis- 
taken about  her.  But  then,  they  didn't  know 
her  sister.  She  began  to  explain  that  Alberta 
did  everything  for  her:  helped  her  to  dress, 
bathed  her,  "did"  her  hair.  That  it  was  an 
awful  trouble,  sometimes,  she  explained,  the 
curls  were  so  thick.  Alberta  showed  her  about 
her  lessons,  too,  and  played  with  her  every  day. 
Only  to-day  she  had  gone  on  a  picnic,  and 
Clarissa  and  she  had  had  a  fuss,  and  then  she 
had  gone  out  and  got  lost.  The  loyal  little  soul 
couldn't  bring  herself  to  tell  on  her  mischievous 
playmate,  but  her  hearers  had  no  trouble  in 
inferring  Clarissa's  responsibility.  They  knew 
the  species. 

Once  loosened,  Dotty's  tongue  ran  on.  She 
had  been  obliged  to  be  so  cautious  lately  that 
the  relief  of  talking  freely  went  to  her  head;  and 

154 


"ALBERTA  TAKES  CARE  OF  ME,"  PUT  IN  DOTTY 


LIBERTY    HALL 

the  first  thing  she  knew  she  was  telling  the  tale 
of  the  destroyed  doll-house,  and  how  she  hadn't 
any  piano  now,  to  play  on,  and  how  sometimes 
she  didn't  know  what  to  do,  the  days  were  so 
long  and  dull. 

"To  think  of  it,"  ejaculated  Mrs.  Gilpatrick, 
looking  at  her  tall  son  over  the  child's  head,  as 
Dotty  tossed  back  her  golden  hair  from  the  out- 
stretched paws  of  the  big  cat,  who  was  making 
efforts  to  catch  the  falling  curls.  "Gracious, 
Jack,  it  would  be  awfully  nice  to  have  a  child 
like  this  in  the  house,  wouldn't  it,  now?" 

"Have  her  over  sometimes,"  he  answered  in 
a  low  tone.  "And  why  couldn't  she  play  on  the 
piano  here,  mother?  It  seems  rough  on  the  kid 
to  have  no  chance,  if  she  really  loves  music." 

"Gracious,  Jack,  you  know  I'd  be  mighty 
glad,  but  Gladys—" 

He  nodded  rather  gloomily. 

The  good  lady  rose  and  made  a  movement 
toward  the  door.  "You  come  with  me,  dearie. 
I'm  going  to  open  the  piano  for  you,  and  you 
shall  play  for  as  long  as  you  can  stay,  this 
evening,  anyway." 

Dotty  let  the  cat  slip  to  the  floor  and  eagerly 
accompanied  Mrs.  Gilpatrick  to  the  drawing- 
room.  It  was  a  more  magnificent  room  than 
she  had  ever  been  in  before,  all  gold  and  pink 


LIBERTY    HALL 

and  velvet  and  lace,  with  cabinets  holding  vases 
and  elegantly  bound  portfolios  of  illustrations, 
and  the  thousand  and  one  things  which  make 
up  the  conventional  "parlor"  of  a  luxurious 
house.  But,  someway,  to  the  child's  true  in- 
stinct, the  old-fashioned  sitting-room  seemed 
nicer  and  more  natural.  She  was  right.  It  ex- 
pressed something  that  was  absent  from  this 
fine  apartment — warm  and  genial  hospitality, 
honest  sympathy,  and  every-day  duty.  Mrs. 
Gilpatrick  did  not  feel  at  home  in  her  drawing- 
room,  but  she  went  toward  the  window  and 
pulled  up  the  shades,  and  then  opened  the  lid 
of  the  grand  piano,  motioning  Dotty  to  the 
chair  that  stood  in  front  of  it. 

"Play  something,  dearie.  If  you'd  rather,  I'll 
go  out  and  leave  you  here,"  she  said,  simply. 

"Oh,  I  don't  mind,"  answered  Dotty.  Her 
pretty  eyes  dilated  as  she  climbed  on  the  tall 
stool  and  touched  the  keys.  It  was  a  little  child's 
touch — Dotty  was  barely  eight — but  there  was 
in  it  that  wonderful  sympathy,  that  instinct  for 
drawing  music  from  the  inmost  depths  of  the 
instrument,  which  is  the  gift  of  the  genius.  At 
first  her  playing  was  rather  timid  and  desultory, 
but  after  a  little  her  touch  grew  firmer,  the 
straying  melody  more  purposeful,  and  then 
Dotty  really  played  so  beautifully,  so  sweetly, 

156 


that  Mrs.  Gilpatrick,  silent  in  the  background, 
brushed  away  two  tears  that  were  running  down 
her  cheeks,  and  rolled  up  her  eyes  to  indicate  to 
John,  who  stood  in  the  doorway,  that  this  was 
a  marvel. 

"To  think  of  a  little  child  like  that  touching 
a  person's  heart  so!"  she  murmured,  approach- 
ing her  son  and  leaning  on  his  arm.  They  saw 
that  Dotty  was  now  as  unconscious  of  them  as 
if  they  were  not  there,  and  they  listened  si- 
lently as  she  went  on,  playing  everything  she 
could  remember. 

"The  kid's  a  genius,  mother." 

"Mrs.  Dezevolos  ought  to  hear  her!  She'd 
go  crazy  over  her." 

John  nodded.  "I  reckon.  But,  mother,  it's 
getting  late.  I  must  go  and  let  her  sister  know 
where  she  is.  She'll  be  worrying." 

"Slip  off,  Jack  dear;  she'll  never  know.  Did 
you  ever  see  a  child  so  wrapped  up  in  anything? 
Mercy  me!  I  wish  Gladys  had  as  much  liking 
for  the  piano  as  that.  Wouldn't  papa  be 
proud?" 

This  was  why  Alberta,  hurrying  in  to  find  her 
little  sister  and  tell  her  about  her  pleasant  day, 
was  appalled  to  learn  from  old  Martha  that  she 
hadn't  seen  anything  of  the  child  for  a  "good 
two  hours  now,"  and  had  been  trying  to  find 


LIBERTY    HALL 

some  trace  of  her  or  Clarissa,  to  whom  she  was 
"  jes'  gwine  take  the  broomstick,"  if  she  had  led 
Dotty  into  any  sort  of  trouble. 

"An*  all  them  fowls  in  the  garden,  and  dirt 
scratched  all  over  creation,  and  takin'  me  an 
hour  to  sweep  up  so  Mrs.  Knight  won't  know 
they's  been  out,"  complained  Martha,  perhaps 
to  distract  Alberta's  mind  from  the  graver  worry, 
for  she  looked  dreadfully  concerned. 

"Now  don'  take  on,  Miss  Alberta"  —  the 
girl  had  been  perfectly  silent,  only  looking  as  if 
she  meant  to  do  something  very  definite  as  soon 
as  she  had  made  up  her  mind  what  it  should  be. 
"Dotty  can't  get  lost  in  thisyere  town,  noway. 
Somebody  '11  take  her  in  if  she's  wandered  from 
home.  Maybe  she's  gone  somewhar  with  that 
limb  o'  Satan — you  jes'  wait  till  I  gets  my  hands 
on  her — makin'  all  this  fuss  when  you's  tired 
out." 

Alberta  waved  away  that  suggestion.  "I'll  go 
out  and  scour  the  streets,  and  ask  everybody  I 
meet.  Think  of  the  child's  being  out  alone  after 
dark,  Martha,  and  now  it  gets  dark  so  early! 
She  will  be  frightened  to  death.  Poor  baby!  I 
wish  I  hadn't  left  her."  This  was  all  the  re- 
proach she  made  to  the  old  woman,  but  Martha 
threw  her  apron  over  her  head  and  burst  out 
crying. 

158 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"  'Deed,  Miss  Alberta,  I  feel  Ts  been  to  blame. 
But  they  was  playin'  so  lovely  together,  and  I 
was  hurryin'  so  to  get  the  wash  done  befo'  yo' 
aunt  'peared,  that  I  must  'a'  forgot  the  chillun, 
Lord  forgive  me." 

"Never  mind.  She  must  be  somewhere  near 
home;  but  I  can't  stop  to  talk,  I  must  hurry." 
And  the  girl  hastened  out  of  the  gate  and  paused 
in  the  street,  looking  up  and  down,  wondering 
which  way  to  turn.  John  met  her  just  as  she 
was  going  north — the  opposite  way  from  the 
Gilpatrick  house. 

"Good  evening,  Miss  Lewis.  If  you're 
looking  for  your  little  sister — " 

"Yes,  yes,"  eagerly  and  hopefully. 

"She's  at  our  house,"  said  John,  without  pre- 
amble. "Mother's  taking  good  care  of  the  kid. 
I  found  her  trying  to  get  home,  but  as  she  was 
nearer  to  us  than  here,  I  captured  the  little 
thing  and  carried  her  off  for  a  visit  to  mother. 
She  said  you  were  away  from  home.  I  ex- 
pected to  get  here  before  you,  or  I  wouldn't 
have  kept  her.  I  hope  you've  not  been  wor- 
ried?" 

"Not  for  very  long,  anyway!  But  it  is  such 
a  relief  to  know  she's  safe!"  The  elder  sister 
drew  a  long  breath,  then  half  sobbed  and  looked 
so  pale  that  the  young  man  stood  beside  her 

159 


LIBERTY    HALL 

awkwardly,  half  inclined  to  treat  her  as  he  had 
the  child  and  catch  her  up  in  his  arms  to  carry 
home  to  his  mother  to  comfort! 

"I  never  cry,"  protested  Alberta,  dashing  away 
a  persistent  tear  from  her  dark  lashes.  Her  eyes 
looked  so  soft  and  wistful  in  the  twilight  that 
John  thought  something  ought  to  be  done  by 
somebody,  right  off,,  to  bring  happiness  and  se- 
curity into  the  lives  of  these  two  strangers  who 
seemed  to  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Phil- 
istines here  in  Elmville.  They  didn't  seem  to  be 
having  any  sort  of  good  time.  And  Gladys  said 
that  a  girl's  natural  privilege  was  to  have  fun; 
she  was  never  a  girl  but  once. 

"You  seem  to  have  a  heap  of  responsibility 
thrust  on  you,"  he  said,  sympathetically.  He 
was  walking  along  at  her  side,  looking  with  his 
habitual  kindness  at  her  clear-cut  profile  and 
admiring  the  waves  of  dark  hair  that  escaped 
from  the  heavy  mass  the  day's  activity  had  dis- 
arranged. He  thought  she  was  better  than 
pretty — handsome  was  perhaps  the  word.  She 
had  a  quick  way  of  turning  her  gaze  directly  on 
one,  as  if  she  expected  straight  talk,  without  any 
nonsense  or  flattering.  It  was  the  way  an  hon- 
est boy  looks.  Funny;  he  had  never  seen  just 
that  look  on  any  young,  pretty  girl's  face.  But 
he  liked  it  immensely. 

1 60 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"I  guess  I've  been  selfish  to-day,  going  off 
and  leaving  Dotty.  Now  I'm  paid  for  it.  But 
it  was  awfully  nice  of  you  to  pick  her  up.  I 
don't  know  how  to  thank  you." 

"That's  all  right.  We  won't  mention  it.  I 
reckon  mother  '11  tell  you  the  pleasure's  all  hers. 
I  left  your  little  sister  playing  away  on  the 
piano  like  a  full  orchestra,  and  mother  listening 
with  her  mouth  open.  Where  did  she  learn  to 
play  like  that?" 

"There  was  an  old  Frenchman  out  home,  a 
wonderful  teacher,  and  Dotty  had  lessons  from 
him  for  the  past  two  years.  It  worries  me  that 
she  can't  practise  here.  We  left  our  piano  in 
Topeka." 

"She  certainly  ought  to  have  one,  and  a 
teacher,  too.  But  I  reckon  there's  nobody  here 
capable  of  getting  her  along,  unless  Mrs.  Deze- 
volos  should  happen  to  take  it  up.  She's  our 
patron  of  all  the  arts  in  Elmville." 

"Oh,"  cried  Alberta,  as  they  went  up  the 
Gilpatrick  steps,  "that's  Dotty.  Dear  baby, 
how  happy  she  must  be!" 

John  let  her  in  and  attended  her  to  the 
drawing-room.  "This  is  Miss  Lewis,  mother," 
and  Alberta  had  scarcely  time  to  squeeze  the 
plump  hand  held  out  to  her  before  Dotty  was 
off  the  piano-stool  and  in  her  arms,  her  eyes 

161 


LIBERTY    HALL 

shining  with  excitement  and  pleasure.  She  had 
forgotten  all  the  vexations  of  the  afternoon. 

Alberta  had  time  for  one  conscious  thought  of 
her  own  appearance,  and  the  way  Gladys  would 
probably  look  at  her,  when  Mrs.  Gilpatrick 
hurried  into  an  explanation  that  her  daughter 
was  staying  in  Lexington  and  would  be  sorry  to 
miss  seeing  her  schoolmate  at  her  home.  The 
schoolmate  drew  a  long  breath  of  relief,  and 
secretly  decided  that  the  daughter  would  not 
lose  her  appetite  on  that  account. 

"Let's  go  into  the  other  room  where  the  fire 
is,"  suggested  John,  who  never  could  stand  the 
drawing-room  long  at  a  time.  He  had  once 
told  his  mother  that  there  was  no  life  in  it.  She 
recalled  that  speech  now. 

"Jack  loves  a  wood  fire,"  she  smiled.  "He's 
sort  of  old-fashioned,  like  his  mother,  I  reckon. 
Gladys,  now,  is  up-to-date,  as  she  calls  her- 
self. All  young  people  are  different,  I  find.  Some 
are  pleased  with  one  thing  and  some  with  an- 
other, as  grown-up  folks  are.  A  cat  and  a  fire, 
that's  home  to  Jack." 

"Oh,  sister,  there's  the  most  beautiful  Persian 
cat,"  cried  Dotty,  pulling  her  sister's  hand 
toward  the  sitting-room,  as  she  paused  in  the 
hall. 

'You  two  are  surely  going  to  stay  and  have 
162 


LIBERTY    HALL 

supper  with  us.  Please  do,"  urged  the  hospit- 
able woman.  "I'm  all  alone  with  John  to- 
night, for  Mr.  Gilpatrick's  in  Louisville.  Else  I 
s'pose  Gladys  would  be  home,"  she  added,  with  a 
comfortable  laugh.  "She  takes  advantage  of 
the  times  her  father's  away  to  play  truant 
from  school.  Gladys  doesn't  love  school  as 
you  do,  I  reckon,  Miss  Lewis.  I've  heard  what 
a  scholar  you  are." 

The  sitting-room  looked  so  charming  to  the 
homeless  girl  that  she  sympathized  with  Dotty's 
eagerness  to  enjoy  it  as  long  as  she  could.  The 
invitation  to  supper  was  so  warmly  repeated 
that  it  would  have  seemed  ungrateful  to  refuse; 
so,  after  a  visit  to  a  splendid  room  on  the  second 
floor,  where  she  put  her  hair  in  order  amid  many 
compliments  from  her  hostess  on  its  length  and 
softness,  and  recurled  Dotty's  golden  locks  so 
that  she  resembled  a  Paris  doll,  they  all  went 
into  the  dining-room.  This  was  another  room 
of  elegant  appointments,  but  it  had  not  the 
barren  air  of  the  drawing-room,  suggesting, 
rather,  the  motherly  hospitality  of  Mrs.  Gil- 
patrick  and  the  heartiness  of  its  master.  This 
evening  John  took  his  father's  place,  and  very 
well  he  presided,  Alberta  thought;  simply  and 
pleasantly,  with  careful  attention  to  his  guests, 
but  without  too  much  solicitude.  He  was  used 

163 


LIBERTY    HALL 

to  playing  the  host,  for  hardly  a  day  passed 
without  bringing  guests  at  the  house.  But  to- 
night he  had  a  particular  pleasure  in  making 
things  agreeable  for  the  young  strangers. 

After  supper  they  had  some  card  games, 
while  Dotty  played  with  the  cat  and  with  two 
fascinating  kittens  that  were  imported  from  the 
stable  for  her  benefit.  It  was  nine  o'clock  be- 
fore they  were  allowed  to  go  home.  John  ac- 
companied them.  As  they  drew  near  the  dark 
house,  so  gloomy  by  contrast  with  that  which 
they  had  just  left,  and  with  the  brightly  lit 
Beacham  mansion  on  the  other  side  of  the  street, 
Alberta  unconsciously  sighed.  Whether  he 
heard  the  weary  breath  or  not,  the  young  man 
guessed  her  feelings,  and  this  made  the  hand- 
shake with  which  he  parted  from  her  particularly 
strong. 

"I'm  going  to  have  my  sister  call  on  you  right 
off,  if  she  hasn't  done  it,"  he  asserted.  Then  he 
gave  a  little  laugh,  and  added:  "I  think  it 
would  do  her  good  to  be  intimate  with  you, 
Miss  Alberta.  Gladys  is  rather  in  the  way  of 
being  spoiled,  I  reckon.  We  have  a  parcel  of 
relations  in  the  city  that  are  always  having  her 
over  there,  and  they  seem  to  think  she's  a 
society  belle  instead  of  a  school-girl.  That's 
one  reason  I  joined  the  club  here — the  Young 

164 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Folks' — so  as  to  encourage  Gladys  to  keep  more 
at  home.  Aren't  you  going  to  be  one  of  us?" 

She  murmured  an  assent  as  he  opened  the 
gate  for  her.  Then,  putting  her  arms  about 
Dotty,  she  pushed  open  the  side  door  and  went 
into  the  dreary  sitting-room,  where  Mrs. 
Knight  was  waiting  to  tell  her  that  she  didn't 
approve  of  girls  gadding  about  at  all  hours  of 
the  night. 

Dotty  poured  forth  the  tale  of  her  day  when 
they  were  safely  in  their  own  room.  Alberta  had 
not  the  heart  to  scold  her  for  her  little  escapades, 
for  she  felt  sympathy  with  the  spirit  that  moved 
the  lonely  child  to  any  sort  of  heedless  play. 

"Never  mind,  my  pet,"  she  said,  comfortingly, 
hugging  her  close.  "Things  won't  always  be  dull 
like  this.  Something  will  happen.  I  just  know 
it  will."  She  had  no  idea  how  soon  something 
was  to  happen. 


CHAPTER  X 

DID  you  find  a  paper  on  the  floor?"  Gladys's 
voice  was  eager  and  hurried,  and  her 
glance  troubled.  It  was  the  first  recess,  at  ten 
o'clock,  when  the  pupils  merely  took  a  breathing- 
spell  of  a  few  minutes,  but  were  not  supposed  to 
leave  the  school-rooms.  Immediately  after  came 
the  reading  of  compositions,  for  to-day  was  the 
first  Friday  in  the  month. 

Alberta  looked  up  from  her  book,  and,  reach- 
ing into  her  desk,  brought  forth  a  sheet  of  paper 
and  held  it  out.  The  anxious,  half -appealing  ex- 
pression on  the  pretty  face  distressed  her,  be- 
cause she  knew  what  good  reason  Gladys  had  to 
worry  over  losing  that  paper.  It  was  scribbled 
over  in  pencil  with  a  rough  draft  of  the  compo- 
sition its  owner  had  doubtless  copied  out  after- 
ward and  designed  to  read  when  her  turn  came 
in  class. 

Miss  Elkins  had  her  own  method  of  instruc- 
tion in  English  composition;  the  girls  wrote 
their  themes,  choosing  their  subjects,  and  read 

166 


LIBERTY    HALL 

them  out  in  class.  Then  they  were  criticized  by 
the  other  girls,  under  suggestion  from  her,  and 
corrected  by  the  writers  themselves.  It  was 
an  excellent  plan,  but  one  the  girls  did  not  like, 
for  it  exacted  a  great  deal  of  thought  and  care 
on  their  part,  and  threw  them  completely  on 
their  own  resources.  They  said  it  was  well 
enough  for  girls  like  Gladys,  who  had  a  gift,  or 
Hannah  Beacham,  who  could  reel  off  flowery 
essays  on  any  subject,  from  woman's  sphere  to 
butterflies;  but  what  was  a  girl  like  Carrie 
Elton  to  do?  She  just  had  to  show  what  a 
dunce  she  was. 

"You — you  read  it,  I  suppose?"  Gladys's  tone 
was  at  once  imploring  and  defiant,  and  there  was 
a  flush  of  shame  on  her  cheeks.  She  had  copied 
two  verses  of  a  certain  poem  just  as  they  were 
originally,  and  then,  by  a  dexterous  transposing 
of  lines,  made  sense  and  rhyme,  but  so  changed 
them  around  that  no  one  except  a  person  who 
happened  to  be  familiar  with  the  original  poem 
would  have  been  able  to  place  the  plagiarism. 

"Say,  Gladys,  I  wish  you'd  sit  down  here  a 
minute,"  said  Alberta,  moving  over  to  one  side 
of  the  seat. 

"It's  a — roasting,  is  it?"  gasped  Gladys.  She 
cast  a  swift  look  about  the  room.  They  were 
not  observed,  for  nearly  all  the  girls  had  gone 
12  167 


LIBERTY    HALL 

out  to  the  galleries  to  breathe  the  fresh  air,  and 
Alberta's  desk  was  in  the  forward  part  of  the 
room,  near  the  door. 

"Nothing  of  the  kind."  The  Western  girl 
laid  her  hand  kindly  on  the  lace-trimmed  sleeve 
of  the  beauty,  and  looked  with  frank  eyes  into 
her  face.  "It  isn't  even  a  sermon.  Only  I. 
can't  help  saying  something.  I  have  a  copy  of 
that  old  keepsake  you  have  been  using  as  a 
mine,  and,  of  course,  I  know  the  poems.  Now 
please  don't  do  any  more  of  this  sort  of  thing! 
You're  sure  to  be  found  out  in  the  end,  and 
besides — " 

"Well?" 

"You  know  perfectly  well  that  it's  dishonest." 

Tears  came  into  Gladys's  eyes.  She  sank 
down  in  the  seat  and  whispered:  "I  know.  I'm 
in  a  fix,  Alberta.  I  copied  one,  last  year,  and 
they  all  made  such  a  fuss  over  it,  and  said  I 
had  genius,  and  all  that,  so  I  kept  on  doing  it. 
And  now  I  can't  get  away  from  it!  I  can't 
write  poetry,  of  course,  and  everybody  expects 
me  to.  What  on  earth  shall  I  do?" 

"Gladys,  I  read  that  paper  before  I  thought 
of  its  being  anything  particular,  and  there's  one 
thing  I  saw." 

"What?" 

1  That  you  have  at  least  a  knack  of  your  own 
1 68 


LIBERTY    HALL 

for  writing.  You  could  make  a  great  deal  of  it 
if  you'd  give  over  copying  other  people  and  just 
try  to  be  yourself." 

"You  don't  really  think  so,  do  you?"  And  a 
light  came  into  the  girl's  dreary  eyes  and  an 
upward  curve  to  the  lips  that  had  been  drooping 
in  despair. 

"I  really  do."  Alberta  was  the  more  em- 
phatic because  she  had  spoken  impulsively,  with 
hope,  rather  than  certainty,  of  what  she  sug- 
gested. She  resolved  to  stand  by  her  assertion. 
It  was  quite  probable  that  the  quick-witted, 
bright  and  versatile  girl  possessed  cleverness 
enough  to  write  well,  if  she  would  give  her  mind 
to  it;  and  an  effort  now  was  demanded  of  her, 
in  order  to  extricate  her  from  a  situation  that 
was  daily  becoming  more  hazardous. 

"Alberta,  I'll  be  eternally  grateful  to  you  if 
you'll  show  me  how  to  get  out  of  this  fix,"  said 
Gladys,  dramatically  grasping  the  firm  hand 
that  somehow,  even  to  her  inexperience,  seemed 
to  convey  a  suggestion  of  helpfulness. 

"I  don't  know  that  I  can  teach  you  how  to 
write,"  said  Alberta,  modestly.  "I'm  only  just 
learning,  myself.  But  I  do  believe  you  can  learn, 
and  maybe  more  easily  than  I  can.  You  have 
a  quicker,  cleverer  way  of  expressing  ideas.  I 
always  have  to  dig  mine  out.  But  if  I  were 

169 


LIBERTY    HALL 

you  I'd  cut  the  copying  business  for  good  and 
all,  and  throw  myself  on  my  own  ability,  even 
if  it  isn't  very  great.  You  know  what  Emerson 
says  about  being  one's  own  self." 

Gladys  did  not  read  Emerson  and  she  was 
not  interested  in  abstractions,  but  in  the  present 
dilemma:  "I'll  have  to  let  this  go,  this  time, 
won't  I?" 

"Yes;  now  it's  too  late.    But,  Gladys — " 

"I  promise  you,  Alberta.  I'll  not  do  it  again. 
But  you'll  have  to  help  me  out.  Show  me  how 
to  go  about  getting  on  my  own  pins,  won't  you?" 

Alberta  smiled  and  nodded  as  the  bell  called 
to  order,  and  Gladys  slid  over  to  her  own  seat 
with  a  glance  of  gratitude  and  friendship  that 
made  her  cousin  Carrie,  who  happened  to  see 
it,  gasp  incredulously. 

When  at  recess  Gladys  walked  frankly  over  to 
where  Alberta  was  standing  with  the  Sopho- 
mores, talking  to  Miriam,  and  joined  the  group, 
making  herself  charming  in  the  way  nobody 
could  surpass  when  the  humor  was  upon  her, 
Hannah  and  the  others  began  to  take  notes  and 
the  school  was  in  a  state  of  astonishment. 

"They've  made  it  up,"  murmured  Hannah 
into  Minnie's  ear,  and  after  school  she  ap- 
proached Alberta,  in  a  rather  halting  fashion, 
and,  slipping  her  arm  through  hers,  awkwardly 

170 


LIBERTY    HALL 

apologized  for  her  haste  in  believing  that  she 
had  stayed  away  from  the  meeting  of  the  club 
from  ill-humor.  The  center  of  an  admiring 
circle  now,  the  Western  girl  saw  herself  a  coming 
success.  The  Sophomores  and  the  Juniors  were, 
in  a  way,  pulling  caps  for  her,  and  she  could  be 
a  leader  with  the  one  or  a  favorite  with  the  other 
set.  But  she  remembered  that  Miriam  had  not 
waited  to  see  her  popular  before  seeking  her  out 
and  trying  to  make  it  pleasant  for  her.  She  had 
no  rancor  toward  Hannah,  and  tried  to  return 
the  caresses  that  variable  young  lady  now  lav- 
ished on  her,  but  she  accepted  with  frank  pleas- 
ure Miriam's  invitation  to  go  driving  with  her, 
and  piled  Dotty  and  herself  merrily  into  the 
pretty  little  trap  the  girl  had  waiting  at  the 
school  gate.  It  tore  off  at  a  brisk  pace,  while 
Gladys  called  after  them: 

"Don't  forget,  Alberta,  that  you  are  coming 
over  to  my  house  to-morrow  evening.  I'll  see 
that  you  get  home  all  right." 

"What  on  earth!"  exclaimed  Hannah,  grasp- 
ing Gladys's  arm — "  'A  sea  change  into  some- 
thing rare  and  strange,'  this  is.  What's  hap- 
pened?" 

"She's  a  brick,  that's  all.  Don't  you  be 
jealous,  now,  Hannah.  You  had  your  chance, 
and  let  it  go.  Now  it's  mine.  I  like  Alberta, 

171 


LIBERTY    HALL 

and  I'm  going  to  be  intimate  with  her.  Did 
you  hear  about  how  her  little  sister  got  lost 
last  night,  and  she  came  over  to  our  house 
when  my  brother  found  the  child  and  took  her  in 
to  mother?  Well,  it's  all  so.  Mother's  dippy 
over  the  kid.  Says  she  plays  the  piano  like  a 
young  Mozart,  or  something,  and  that  Alberta's 
splendid.  It's  a  good  day  for  tennis.  Suppose 
we  have  a  game."  And  Hannah  had  time  to  re- 
flect before  she  saw  Alberta  again  that  she 
would  better  have  given  her  quondam  friend  a 
chance  to  show  her  character  before  assuming 
that  she  was  the  spiteful,  small-souled  girl  she 
had  hastily  supposed  her  to  be. 

"Are — aren't  we  going  rather  fast?"  gurgled 
Alberta  to  her  friend,  after  she  had  picked  Dotty 
from  the  floor  of  the  phaeton,  twice  struggled 
back  to  an  upright  position  herself,  after  top- 
pling first  to  the  right  of  the  seat,  then  to  the 
left,  and  rescued  her  bag  of  books  from  the 
little  back  attachment  meant  for  a  groom,  but 
which  they  had  made  over  to  their  belongings. 
It  proved  an  unsafe  place  for  them,  as  they  flew 
out  on  to  the  road  to  an  extent  that  made  the 
stability  of  a  boy  on  the  seat  a  matter  of  wonder. 

Miriam  laughed  joyously.  "I  reckon  we  are. 
Don't  you  like  it?  Creeping  gets  on  my  nerves 
when  I  have  the  reins.  Badger  knows  me,  and 

172 


LIBERTY    HALL 

he  knows  enough  to  put  on  his  best  paces  when 
I  have  company  aboard.  Get  up!" 

"Take  care!"  warned  Alberta,  making  a 
strong  effort  to  keep  from  catching  at  the  reins 
— something  she  knew  her  hostess  would  never 
forgive — as  the  sound  of  a  warning  "toot"  told 
of  coming  danger. 

Evidently  the  whistle  merely  urged  Badger  to 
increased  speed.  An  automobile  was  not  then 
the  common  thing  along  these  roads  which  it 
has  become  in  the  last  few  years,  and  the  little 
horse  had  scarcely  made  acquaintance  with  the 
phenomenon.  He  pricked  up  his  ears  and  flew, 
and  the  big  brown  touring-car  that  was  smoothly 
and  swiftly  running  toward  them  hove  into 
sight,  bearing  directly  down  upon  the  phaeton. 

"Oh,  mercy!"  breathed  Miriam.  "Sit  tight! 
Whoa,  Badger!"  Exerting  all  her  strength,  she 
turned  toward  the  right.  The  motor  brushed 
only  their  off -wheel,  but  the  impact  was  so  pow- 
erful that  it  came  off  like  a  toy  roughly  handled, 
and  the  little  vehicle  whirled  over  into  the 
gulley  beside  the  road,  tipping  Dotty  out,  scat- 
tering the  load  of  books  in  the  dust,  and  throw- 
ing Miriam — still  gallantly  clinging  to  the  reins 
— over  the  dashboard  under  her  horse's  feet. 

Dotty 's  cries  mingled  with  a  scream  from  one 
of  the  occupants  of  the  car,  a  beautiful  woman 

173 


LIBERTY    HALL 

with  gray  hair  and  superb  bearing,  who  jumped 
out  the  instant  her  chauffeur  could  halt,  and 
ran  to  the  child,  who  lay  as  she  had  fallen,  her 
eyes  open,  but  apparently  unable  to  move. 

A  young  man  who  was  the  other  occupant  of 
the  car  had  already  sprung  to  Miriam's  rescue 
and  was  carrying  her  to  a  place  of  safety,  not 
without  much  difficulty,  for  he  was  slight  and 
she  was  not,  while  the  chauffeur  held  the  fiery 
little  horse,  who  would  have  liked  to  kick  over 
the  monster  car  which  loomed  near  him.  For- 
tunately, it  had  not  entered  his  head  to  run 
away. 

"  Is  the  young  lady  hurt?"  demanded  the  lady 
who  held  Dotty  in  her  arms.  Miriam  declared 
that  she  was  only  a  little  bruised,  and  Alberta 
flew  over  to  the  side  of  her  sister.  "Help  me 
with  the  child,  Roy,"  added  the  lady.  "I 
think  she  has  fainted.  If  she's  seriously  hurt, 
I'll  never  forgive  myself." 

Dotty  was  lifted  into  the  car  and  laid  on  the 
cushions,  but  her  lips  did  not  regain  their  color. 
Every  one  was  beginning  to  be  really  alarmed 
when  from  Dotty 's  lips  came  the  reassuring 
murmur:  "I  don't  want  to  go  back  to  aunt's 
house!  I  like  to  ride!" 

Then  everybody  laughed  with  relief  and  pleas- 
ure, and  Alberta,  after  feeling  Dotty  all  over, 


LIBERTY    HALL 

anxiously  asking  whether  her  legs  hurt,  or  her 
head  felt  all  right,  or  her  back  ached — assented 
to  the  eager  plea  of  Mrs.  Dezevolos  that  she  be 
allowed  to  take  the  whole  party  to  her  own 
house,  after  Roy  had  put  up  the  horse  at  the 
nearest  neighbor's.  By  this  time  there  were 
two  or  three  stragglers  around  the  car,  and  one 
of  them  was  engaged  to  right  the  phaeton,  which 
was  found  not  to  have  sustained  so  much  damage 
as  had  at  first  appeared,  one  wheel  having  been 
broken,  and  another  loosened. 

"We'll  telephone  over  to  your  mother  that 
you  are  making  a  visit  to  me,"  said  Mrs.  Deze- 
volos to  Miriam,  "so  that  when  she  learns  about 
the  accident  she  won't  be  worried.  We'll  have 
the  trap  put  to  rights  at  once — Roy,  please 
have  the  stablemen  see  to  that  —  and  Alfred, 
here,  shall  ride  the  horse  to  our  stable,  until  he 
can  be  put  to  harness  again.  Roy,  help  the 
young  ladies  in.  The  little  girl  is  going  to  sit  on 
my  lap.  Will  you,  dear?  I  am  Mrs.  Dezevolos. 
Won't  you  tell  me  your  names?" 

Dotty  leaned  contentedly  back  against  the 
soft  fur  coat  of  her  new  friend,  still  feeling  a  little 
dazed  and  giddy  from  her  fall,  which,  fortu- 
nately, had  been  on  the  grass. 

Roy  turned  around  from  his  position  on  the 
front  seat,  and  smiled.  "I  ought  to  introduce 


LIBERTY    HALL 

them,  mother,  but  the  scare  about  the  little 
one  knocked  all  the  sense  out  of  me.  Miss  Car- 
ruthers  and  the  Misses  Lewis.  They  say  it's 
an  ill  wind  that  blows  nobody  any  good,  so  we 
are  the  ones  to  profit  from  this  one.  Mother 
will  get  acquainted  with  you." 

The  motor  was  going  as  slowly  as  the  chauf- 
feur could  make  it  go,  for  he  had  been  warned 
by  Mrs.  Dezevolos  not  to  jar  a  party  that  had 
already  had  its  share  of  shaking  up.  It  was 
possible  to  have  a  little  conversation,  and  the 
girls,  recovering  from  their  shock  with  the  ra- 
pidity of  youth,  began  to  enjoy  the  adventure 
and  anticipate  the  eclat  of  being  heroines  when 
the  recital  should  be  made  in  school. 

"They'll  say  it's  only  another  of  Miriam  Car- 
ruthers'  hair-brained  escapades,  though,"  said 
Miriam,  resignedly.  "I  had  no  business  to  take 
your  little  sister  along,  Alberta.  You  won't 
trust  me  again." 

Everybody  hastened  to  say  that  she  wasn't 
in  the  least  to  blame,  that  nobody  could  have 
managed  any  better  under  the  circumstances; 
and  as  Dotty,  now  herself  again,  began  to 
brighten  up  and  utter  little  comments  on  the 
delights  of  such  a  ride,  they  got  on  famously,  for 
friendship  ripens  fast  under  such  conditions. 

The  car  turned  into  a  park,  beautifully 
176 


LIBERTY    HALL 

wooded,  and  affording  glimpses,  as  they  passed 
along  the  perfectly  kept  roadway,  of  a  stream 
winding  around  it,  of  summer-houses  dotted 
about,  of  a  rustic  bridge,  and  then  a  great  green- 
house, from  whose  open  door  came  whiffs  of 
perfume.  Then  they  paused  at  the  porte-cochere , 
and  a  butler  came  out  with  an  important  air, 
to  help  his  mistress  from  the  car.  His  impassive 
face  indicated  only  a  faint  surprise  at  seeing  her 
with  a  little  girl  in  her  arms. 

"Be  very  careful  of  the  child,  Holden,"  said 
Mrs.  Dezevolos,  "the  car  ran  down  these  young 
people  and  we  brought  them  home.  Now  we'll 
have  to  show  them  such  hospitality  as  to  make 
them  forgive  us." 

"Yes,  ma'am.  Sorry,  ma'am.  Shall  I  take  the 
little  girl  up-stairs,  ma'am?"  And  the  butler 
smiled  benignly,  lifting  Dotty  as  if  she  were 
an  egg-shell  which  he  had  been  ordered  to 
put  in  a  particular  spot  without  shattering  an 
edge  of  it. 

Dotty  thought  she  could  walk,  but  she  was 
not  allowed  to  try.  She  was  conveyed  up  a 
great  stairway,  through  a  hall  lit  by  stained- 
glass  windows  and  perfumed  by  rare  and  won- 
derful plants  which  stood  on  the  landings  in 
niches,  to  a  chamber  all  rose-color.  There  she 
was  gently  deposited  on  a  couch  and  attended 

177 


LIBERTY    HALL 

by  a  maid  who  made  a  mysterious  appearance, 
as  if  she  were  a  princess. 

"I  don't  want  to  wake  up,"  sighed  the  child. 

"Will  everybody  please  be  at  home?"  said  the 
beautiful  mistress  of  this  fairyland  palace,  taking 
a  low  chair  near  the  couch  and  breathing  a  sigh 
of  intense  relief.  "If  you  only  knew,  girls,  how 
happy  I  am  not  to  have  to  bring  you  back  with 
broken  bones!  It  was  a  narrow  escape,  though. 
You  little  fairy!  May  I  kiss  you,  dear?"  And 
she  leaned  over  Dotty  and  smoothed  back  her 
curls  with  fingers  that  trembled. 

"I  think  you're  the  fairy,"  answered  Dotty. 
"It's — it's  lovely.  I  don't  mind  getting  spilled 
a  bit." 

Tea  and  cakes  were  brought  in,  and  Roy,  fol- 
lowing them,  helped  the  girls  and  his  mother 
with  a  deftness  that  showed  him  used  to  such 
offices. 

"He's  son  and  daughter,  both,"  said  his 
mother,  with  a  fond  look  at  her  darling.  He 
had  a  rather  girlish  face,  pleasant  and  well- 
bred,  but  with  an  indoor  air,  to  the  mind  of  the 
Western  girl.  She  wondered  if  he  had  ever  been 
out  after  sundown.  She  imagined  hosts  of  ser- 
vants attending  him  everywhere,  bushels  of 
spending-money  at  his  command,  and  a  ready- 
made  career  through  college  and  life,  without 

178 


LIBERTY    HALL 

initiative  on  his  part,  and  her  reading  was  not 
altogether  wrong.  Roy  Dezevolos  had  lost  his 
father  too  young  to  have  felt  the  influence  of  a 
man  in  his  destiny,  and  his  mother,  idolizing 
him  as  her  sole  treasure,  had  hardly  let  him  stir 
from  her  side.  At  eighteen  he  was  ready  to 
enter  college,  for  his  teaching  had  been  special 
and  he  had  an  instinct  for  books;  but  she  had 
not  been  able  to  part  with  him,  and  he  had  not 
matriculated.  It  was  her  secret  wish  to  have 
him  with  her  one  more  winter  before  he  made 
that  flight  which  would  inevitably  turn  him 
into  a  man  and  lose  her  the  companion  and  pet 
of  her  long  widowhood;  so  she  had  taken  ad- 
vantage of  a  slight  indisposition  of  his  to  induce 
the  family  doctor  to  advise  his  waiting  another 
year  for  Yale.  Once  or  twice  he  had  inadver- 
tently mentioned  that  he  meant  to  train  for  the 
team,  in  advance,  and  that  had  frightened  her. 
All  this  tenderness  accounted  for  the  queer,  un- 
formed look  about  young  Dezevolos  and,  per- 
haps, for  his  Chesterfieldian  manners.  He  had 
spent  a  great  deal  of  time  in  picking  up  ladies' 
fans. 

His  voice  was  low  and  soft,  and  his  accent 
slightly  drawling.  He  seemed  quite  contented 
to  make  one  of  the  feminine  party,  and  took  his 
cup  of  tea  with  three  lumps  of  sugar. 

179 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"You  like  sugar,  don't  you?"  suggested  Dotty, 
who  had  watched  him  and  was  making  compar- 
isons between  him  and  the  other  young  man  who 
had  played  rescuer  to  her,  not  long  ago.  "Aunt 
says  sugar  is  bad  for  growing  people.  I  s'pose 
you're  done  growing." 

"I  don't  believe  so,  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Deze- 
volos,  seriously,  with  an  anxious  glance  at  her 
stripling.  "And  he  keeps  so  thin,  in  spite  of 
liking  sugar." 

"It's  healthy  to  be  thin,  isn't  it,  Miss  Mir- 
iam?" asked  Roy,  roguishly,  of  that  well- 
developed  young  lady.  Whereupon  they  began 
baring  their  arms  to  match  their  muscle  and  to 
talk  learnedly  of  wrestling,  swinging  on  bars, 
and  so  on,  while  Mrs.  Dezevolos  and  Alberta 
tried  to  get  better  acquainted. 

"I  think  it's  a  shame  Miss  Elkins  won't  let 
us  have  a  basket-ball  team,"  Miriam's  strong 
voice  rang  out.  "She  is  way  behind  the  times. 
All  the  best  schools  are  going  in  for  athletics 
now.  All  we  can  do  is  just  tennis,  and  rowing 
on  that  imitation  lake,  and  driving — " 

She  was  interrupted  by  a  general  laugh. 

"You  make  driving  pretty  lively  exercise," 
suggested  Roy. 

"It  was  your  motoring  that  did  it.  I  saw 
you  at  the  wheel!" 

1 80 


"Bet  you  I  drive  you  ladies  to  Lexington  and 
back  without  one  single  skid." 

"  Indeed,  Roy,  I  don't  feel  like  going  out  in 
the  car  for  some  time,"  said  Mrs.  Dezevolos, 
and,  turning  to  Dotty,  "How  do  you  feel, 
dear — any  headache?" 

Dotty  owned  to  a  slight  headache,  which  con- 
fession sent  Mrs.  Dezevolos  into  a  nervous 
spasm  of  activity.  She  proposed  sending  for 
the  doctor,  to  have  his  advice  as  to  whether  the 
child  had  experienced  any  hidden  injury.  Then, 
keeping  her  all  night,  for  fear  the  trip  home 
might  aggravate  any  indisposition  she  might 
have.  Finally  she  was  prevailed  on  to  limit  her 
efforts  to  ordering  out  the  old  family  coach,  and 
piling  it  with  cushions,  on  which  Dotty  could 
repose,  while  a  certain  staid  and  reliable  old 
servant  drove  her  home. 

Alberta  and  Miriam  sat  on  the  front  seat,  so 
that  she  might  stretch  out  luxuriously  on  the 
back  one,  while  Roy  rode  with  the  coachman, 
to  be  ready  to  help  them  out. 

All  this  state  made  the  girls  feel  like  princesses, 
and  when  Roy  jumped  down  at  their  gate  and 
assisted  Dotty  up  the  path  to  the  front  door 
Alberta  felt  nervous  for  fear  her  aunt  should 
appear  around  the  house,  refusing  to  open  it. 

But  Mrs.  Knight  had  happened  to  hear  the 
181 


LIBERTY    HALL 

carriage  stop,  and  when  the  old-fashioned 
knocker  sounded  she  opened  the  door  with  her 
blandest  manner.  Her  face  changed  when  she 
saw  her  nieces,  but  as  both  Miriam  and  Roy 
were  beside  them  she  was  as  civil  as  she  knew 
how  to  be,  which — as  Martha  said — "wasn't 
killing  politeness." 

Alberta  explained  enough  of  the  accident  to 
satisfy  her  curiosity,  but  her  two  friends  could 
easily  see  that  she  was  not  on  confidential 
terms  with  her  relative.  They  talked  about 
it  while  the  carriage  was  traveling  toward  the 
Carruthers'  place. 

"Rotten  shame  for  such  a  nice  girl  to  be  shut 
up  in  such  a  dismal  old  hole,"  said  Roy,  with 
more  energy  than  usual.  He  knew  Miriam's 
brothers,  one  of  whom  had  gone  to  the  same 
preparatory  school  and  had  just  entered  Prince- 
ton that  fall.  There  was  a  great  deal  of  con- 
geniality between  Miriam  and  himself,  for  the 
dashing  girl  brought  out  certain  qualities  in 
him  that  were  trying  hard  to  push  their  way 
through  the  folds  of  silken  indolence  that 
swaddled  his  real  manliness. 

"Say,  Miriam,  why  don't  we  meet  oftener? 
Old  Ham  and  I  used  to  be  chums,  you  know. 
Why  can't  we  all  get  together  and  make  it 
pleasanter  for  the  Western  girl?" 

182 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"That's  what  I'm  trying  to  do,  Roy.  But 
Hannah  and  now  Gladys  have  taken  her  over, 
and  I  reckon  she'll  not  lack  friends.  She's  in  the 
Junior  class,  you  know,  while  I'm  only  a  miser- 
able little  Soph,  so  its  kind  of  her  to  have  any- 
thing to  do  with  me.  She's  not  so  very  easy  to 
get  acquainted  with,  but  everybody  likes  her. 
Oh,  you  ought  to  have  seen  her  down  Tom  Mal- 
lony  at  our  picnic — you  know  Tom  can't  help 
being  funny — and  all  in  the  most  polite  and 
pretty  way.  Tom's  been  talking  about  it  ever 
since.  There's  Miss  Dollery  at  her  gate;  she's 
waving  to  us." 

"Mind  stopping  a  minute?" 

"Not  a  bit.  I  always  like  to  talk  with  Miss 
Dollery." 

Roy  spoke  to  the  coachman  and  they  drew 
up.  Miss  Dollery  came  out  of  her  gate  and  Roy 
sprang  down  and  shook  hands.  Miriam  imi- 
tated his  good  manners  and  they  all  three  stood 
talking  merrily  to  the  favorite  of  the  young 
people  of  Elmville. 

"You  must  help  me  along  with  my  fair,  my 
dears!  I'm  in  such  a  hurry  now,  I  don't  know 
whether  I  shall  get  through  at  all,  with  any 
credit.  Alberta  Lewis  is  making  little  canton- 
flannel  animals  for  the  fancy-table.  What  can 
you  do,  Miriam?" 

'3  183 


"She  might  do  some  pole- vaulting,"  sug- 
gested Roy,  wickedly.  "  Charge  a  quarter  a 
head  for  a  sight." 

"And  you  and  Tom  might  have  a  wrestling- 
match.  Bet  you  a  pair  of  gloves  he  beats  you  all 
to  bits." 

"  'Sh-h !  It'snaughty  tobet,"  said  Miss  Dollery, 
softly.  "We  are  going  to  have  a  sort  of  little 
entertainment  after  the  fair.  You  might  sing, 
or  dance  in  costume,  my  dear.  Couldn't  you?" 

"Why,  really,  dear  Miss  Dollery,  it's  you  that 
are  getting  too  up-to-date,  now!  Imagine,  Roy 
— fancy  dancing!" 

"I  didn't  mean  anything  out  of  the  way," 
said  Miss  Dollery,  anxiously.  "Just  Irish  jigs 
or  something  of  that  sort,  dear.  When  I  was  a 
girl  a  young  lady  was  allowed  to  do  that  sort  of 
thing,  for  charity.  You  see,  we  want  to  raise 
enough  to  buy  a  new  organ.  Your  mother  is  on 
the  committee,  Roy.  And  maybe,  Miriam, 
you'll  ask  your  mother  to  contribute  a  cake  or 
two?" 

"She'll  contribute  a  dozen,  Miss  Dollery,  I 
know,"  the  girl  answered,  recklessly,  confident 
of  her  mother's  good- will.  "But  as  for  myself, 
I'm  just  good  for  nothing.  I'll  come  and  spend 
all  my  pocket-money,  if  that  will  do  any  good." 

"Heard  the  latest?"  asked  Roy,  and  then  he 
184 


LIBERTY    HALL 

plunged  into  a  description  of  their  accident, 
making  it  sufficiently  dramatic  to  arouse  the 
keen  sympathy  of  the  good  little  woman  for 
Dotty.  She  instantly  said  she  must  take  a 
tumbler  of  her  crab-apple  jelly,  and  as  they 
drove  away  she  bustled  into  the  house  and 
began  to  put  on  her  bonnet — she  wore  a  quaint 
little  quilted  bonnet  of  drab  silk  which  made 
her  look  like  a  sweet  Quakeress — and  wrapped 
up  a  tumbler  of  her  incomparable  jelly.  She  had 
not  been  in  the  Knight  house  for  several  years, 
and  paused  at  the  gate,  almost  alarmed  as  to 
the  welcome  she  might  receive  from  its  sus- 
picious mistress.  So  it  was  a  great  relief  to  her 
when  she  saw  Alberta  on  the  back  porch.  She 
called  to  her  softly,  and  the  girl  came  out  and 
told  her  all  about  everything  that  had  hap- 
pened to  them  both  that  day. 

"Dotty  is  asleep.  She  seemed  tired  out  and 
I  put  her  right  to  bed.  If  she's  all  right  to- 
morrow, we'll  be  over.  Oh,  I  forgot — I  prom- 
ised Gladys  Gilpatrick  to  go  to  her  house!  I 
can't  leave  Dotty  now,  though,  so  I'll  excuse 
myself  from  that  engagement,  anyway." 

"Suppose  I  came  over  and  stayed  with  her?" 
It  was  a  hard  proposition  for  the  little  lady,  and 
fortunately  Alberta,  though  not  aware  of  the 
severity  of  the  task  that  was  so  conscientiously 

185 


LIBERTY    HALL 

proposed,  would  not  have  thought  it  possible  to 
impose  on  a  friend  to  such  an  extent.  She  said 
she  could  go  to  Gladys's  another  day,  and  Miss 
Dollery  engaged  her  to  bring  Dotty  over  then, 
to  take  tea  with  her.  Alberta  could  sew  on  the 
toys  while  Dotty  played  with  Flock. 

"  I  hope  to  goodness  Gladys  won't  be  peeved," 
thought  Alberta.  "I'll  write  her  a  note  and  tell 
her  about  the  accident."  So  it  came  about  that 
the  next  day  all  the  Academy  girls  were  talking 
over  the  reckless  driving  of  Miriam  Carruthers, 
and  of  how  she  had  been  the  occasion  of  almost 
killing  little  Dotty  Lewis,  who  had  not  had 
much  pleasure  before,  living  in  the  Knight 
house,  and  now  was  in  bed,  poor  child,  with  no- 
body but  an  inexperienced  girl  and  a  sour  old 
woman  to  look  after  her.  If  Dotty  had  had  a 
dozen  appetites  she  could  not  have  eaten  all  the 
dishes  of  blanc-mange,  beef -tea,  and  confections 
that  were  slipped  into  the  hands  of  her  sister  the 
next  afternoon.  It  was  almost  a  disappoint- 
ment to  their  good  friends  to  see  the  little  girl 
tripping  along  merrily  with  Alberta,  the  same 
day,  on  their  way  to  the  Wiseman  cottage. 


CHAPTER  XI 

DOTTY  was  completely  herself  again  in  a 
few  days,  but  the  sympathy  that  had  been 
awakened  for  her  and  her  sister  fermented 
gently  in  the  breasts  of  many  persons. 

The  Beachams  invited  them  both  to  spend  an 
afternoon  with  the  family,  and  while  Alberta 
played  tennis  on  the  splendid  ground,  and  en- 
joyed herself  hugely,  Dotty  was  made  much  of 
by  the  dearest  little  motherly  woman  she  had 
ever  met — excepting  Miss  Dollery — and  amused 
by  a  small  boy,  the  youngest  scion  of  the 
Beacham  family,  aged  ten.  He  got  out  an 
enormous  rocking-horse,  a  toy  seven-shooter,  a 
velocipede,  a  drum,  and  a  set  of  soldiers  made  of 
wood,  with  about  a  quart  of  red  and  yellow 
paint  on  them,  and  initiated  her  into  the  secrets 
of  good-comradeship  with  a  genuine  boy. 

At  dusk  Alberta  came  from  the  court  and  was 
amazed  to  see  the  fairy,  with  golden  curls  and 
starry  blue  eyes,  in  a  suit  of  Indian  garments, 
feathers  adorning  her  locks,  and  bow  and  arrow 

187 


LIBERTY    HALL 

on  her  shoulders,  while  she  raced  and  tore  with 
hearty  good-will  after  Fred,  who  was  playing 
Boy  Scout  in  a  very  practical  fashion. 

"Do  her  good,"  said  little  Mrs.  Beacham, 
nodding  approbation  of  her  son's  manceuvers. 
"You  keep  her  too  much  like  a  pink,  my 
dear." 

"I  didn't  keep  her  so  close  at  home,"  said 
Alberta,  smiling;  "but  I  don't  want  to  shock 
people,  and  it  seems  to  me  girls  are  rather 
different  here." 

Mrs.  Beacham  put  on  a  face  of  conservatism. 
"For  little  girls  I  believe  in  plenty  of  out-of- 
doors.  Of  course,  when  they  get  older  they 
shouldn't  act  like  romps — that's  altogether 
different." 

Alberta  wondered  whether  it  would  not  be  a 
little  hard  on  a  girl  to  be  allowed  her  liberty  up 
to,  say,  a  dozen  years,  then  suddenly  curbed  and 
made  to  sit  in  the  house  and  sew.  But  she  did 
not  say  so. 

Mrs.  Dezevolos  not  only  came  with  her  car- 
riage and  took  Dotty  out  riding,  but  she  kept 
her  at  her  own  house  for  days  at  a  time, 
playing  for  her  on  her  grand  piano,  the  finest 
instrument  in  Elmville,  or  in  Lexington,  either; 
and  presently,  when  she  had  discovered  the 
child's  passion  for  music,  giving  her  instruction 

188 


LIBERTY    HALL 

in  a  fashion  that  no  other  musician  in  all  the 
region  could  have  equaled,  with  an  enthusiasm 
that  grew  into  a  veritable  fureur,  as  the  child 
improved  under  her  efforts.  She  privately  told 
her  son  that  she  meant  to  devise  some  way  of 
getting  possession  of  this  little  genius  and 
developing  her. 

"Steal  her,  and  run  away  to  Europe,"  sug- 
gested Roy,  and  she  almost  took  him  seriously. 
The  Gilpatricks,  mother,  daughter,  and  son,  all 
sent  messages  and  even  came  as  far  as  the  gate 
to  see  Dotty  and  pet  her.  Gladys  brought  her 
a  box  of  candy,  and  the  same  day  there  came 
to  Alberta  a  beautiful  package,  all  done  up  with 
fancy  ribbon,  accompanied  with  two  cards,  bear- 
ing the  names  of  Tom  and  George,  with  the 
added  legend,  scrawled  in  almost  illegible  script, 
"Compliments  of  the  Eel." 

"The  ridiculous  boys,"  said  Alberta,  undoing 
the  box,  and  almost  shrieking  out  with  delight 
when  she  discovered  a  five-pound  box  of  bon- 
bons. "They've  kept  their  word.  I  never  had 
a  nicer  box.  Dotty,  we'll  nearly  kill  ourselves 
with  all  this,  unless  we  are  generous  enough  to 
share  it  with  everybody." 

"Aunt?"  said  Dotty,  doubtfully.  It  did  not 
seem  to  the  child  that  generosity  demanded  as 
much  as  that.  Martha  and  Clarissa — who  had 


LIBERTY    HALL 

shown  her  repentance  and  sympathy  by  bring- 
ing in,  secretly,  a  lean  black  kitten,  which  was 
her  sole  treasure,  and  which  had  been  fed,  but 
returned  with  many  expressions  of  gratitude — 
were  different.  These  favored  persons  were 
made  happy  with  a  handful  each  of  delicious 
bonbons;  then  it  really  became  necessary,  in 
Alberta's  estimation,  to  approach  Mrs.  Knight, 
who  had  for  many  days  past  maintained  a 
singular  silence  and  gloom.  She  frowned  over 
her  sewing,  jerked  her  thread,  and  scolded  the 
chickens;  the  sole  words  she  addressed  to  her 
nieces  being  an  admonition  that  meals  were 
ready,  or  that  somebody  wanted  to  see  one  of 
them  at  the  gate. 

"Gits  mo*  and  mo'  cranky  every  day,  I  de- 
clar',"  whispered  Martha,  rolling  her  eyes  when 
Mrs.  Knight  admonished  her  that  she  had  left 
the  front  door  unlocked  on  the  last  cleaning-day 
and  left  the  house  open  to  thieves.  "When  did 
a  pusson  ever  hear  o*  thieves  hereabouts — with- 
out it's  chicken-thieves?  I  won't  say  they  don't 
break  out  sometimes.  That's  human  nature — 
that  is." 

"Martha—" 

"What,  honey?  What  you  lookin'  so  anxious 
about?" 

"I  saw  somebody  that  looked  like  a  tramp 
190 


LIBERTY   HALL 

yesterday,  stealing  around  after  dark,  to  the 
kitchen  door." 

"You  don'  say  so!  What  did  you  do,  Miss 
Alberta?  I  declar'  I'd  been  scared,  for  shore." 

"I  asked  him  what  he  wanted,  and  he  took 
off  his  hat — a  terrible  old  beaver  hat  that  must 
have  come  out  of  an  ash-heap — and  said,  with  a 
really  polite  manner,  'I've  no  business  at  all 
with  you,  miss.'  And  then  he  walked  off.  But 
unless  I'm  mistaken,  I  saw  him  again  this  morn- 
ing, as  early  as  six  o'clock,  and  this  time  aunt 
saw  him,  too.  She  was  talking  to  him,  so  low 
I  couldn't  hear  what  she  said,  at  the  kitchen 
door.  And  when  I  saw  her  afterward  at  break- 
fast she  was  so  pale  I  thought  she  was  sick.  But 
when  I  said  so,  she  was  angry  enough  to  eat  me. 
So,  of  course,  I  didn't  mention  the  man  to  her. 
But  you  never  saw  a  worse-looking  tramp." 

Martha  had  turned  herself  around  so  that 
Alberta  couldn't  see  her  face,  and  now  she  spoke 
in  a  muffled  tone,  very  unlike  her  ordinary  one: 
"An'  you  done  right,  miss.  Best  not  meddle 
with  Mrs.  Knight's  business.  'Spects  I  better 
tell  you  who  that  tramp  is.  But  then  agin  I — 
What  did  he  look  like,  honey?" 

"He  had  a  yellow  face,  and  very  heavy, 
wrinkled-up  black  eyebrows.  They  went  up 
toward  his  nose  and  down  at  the  corners  of  his 

191 


LIBERTY    HALL 

eyes,  and  they  were  like  bush-heaps.  He  had  a 
little,  pointed  beard — a  dirty  white — and  green- 
ish eyes,  red  and  sunken,  and  he  walked  lame." 

"It's  him,  sure  'nough,"  whispered  Martha. 
She  looked  around  cautiously,  then  leaned 
toward  the  girl's  ear  and  whispered  in  it. 

Alberta  jumped  backward. 

"Martha!" 

"'Sh-h,  honey!  It's  the  truth."  Martha  nod- 
ded her  head,  her  face  wearing  an  expression  of 
dismay  and  cunning  which  aroused  such  mingled 
feelings  in  Alberta  that  the  girl  hardly  knew 
whether  to  laugh  or  groan.  Her  aunt  suddenly 
became  surrounded  with  an  atmosphere  of  mys- 
tery; instead  of  being  a  commonplace,  cross- 
grained  old  woman  whom  one  avoided  as  much 
as  possible,  she  was  to  be  thought  of  with  pity. 
But  it  was  hard  to  remember  this  at  supper 
when  Mrs.  Knight  snapped  at  her  about  some 
trifle  and  then,  apparently  acting  on  a  sudden 
whim,  ordered  her  niece  to  "do  up"  the  dishes, 
as  she  had  all  she  could  do  that  evening  to  finish 
some  work  that  might  bring  in  a  few  cents. 

Alberta  was  not  one  of  those  model  girls  who 
begin  to  like  housework  the  moment  they  are 
asked  to  help  their  elders.  She  had  a  taste  for 
home-making,  but  none  at  all  for  drudgery. 
Under  some  circumstances  she  would  have  as- 

192 


LIBERTY    HALL 

sented  cheerfully  to  any  request  in  reason  in  the 
matter  of  helping  about  the  house.  She  kept 
her  own  room  in  order,  and  had  once  or  twice 
asked  her  aunt  if  she  could  help  her  down- 
stairs; but,  as  her  offer  had  been  vigorously  re- 
fused, she  had,  since  the  effort  to  bring  order 
into  the  sitting-room,  refrained  from  any  inter- 
ference with  the  lady's  slack  and  unmethodical 
housekeeping.  To  be  commanded  all  at  once  to 
assume  the  most  distasteful  part  of  it,  that  one 
thing  which  all  girls  detest  and  only  perform 
when  they  cannot  avoid  it — was  too  much! 
Her  strong,  although  well-controlled  temper  for 
a  moment  got  the  better  of  her.  An  irresistible 
impulse  came  over  her  to  "have  it  out"  with 
her  aunt. 

"Why  can't  we  have  Martha  do  all  this  kind 
of  work?"  she  asked.  "  My  father  told  me  there 
was  enough  coming  in  from  this  place  to  keep 
us  comfortable.  I  suppose  no  land  can  be  sold 
until  Dotty  is  of  age.  Mr.  Potter — a  friend  of 
father's — told  me  that.  But  at  least  you  are 
not  obliged  to  'earn  a  few  cents,'  as  you  say, 
to  keep  things  going.  It  takes  more  than  a  few 
cents — or  dollars.  I  want  to  ask  you  about  our 
school  bill.  Can't  it  be  paid  now,  out  of  the 
estate?" 

Alberta  had  been  gathering  up  the  dishes 
193 


LIBERTY    HALL 

while  she  spoke;  now  she  put  them  on  a  tray 
to  cany  out  to  the  kitchen.  She  paused  to  re- 
gard the  flushed  face  of  the  mistress  of  the  house, 
wondering  at  the  singularly  baffled,  almost 
frightened  expression  that  had  replaced  her 
aunt's  irritation. 

44  No,  it  can't,"  finally  snapped  Mrs.  Knight, 
recovering  some  of  her  presence  of  mind.  4 '  If 
you  call  an  old,  run-down  farm  and  a  ram- 
shackle house,  rotting  for  want  of  repairs,  an 
estate,  why,  I  don't." 

Alberta  told  herself  that  she  was  in  for  it.  She 
set  down  the  tray  and  looked  steadily  in  her 
aunt's  face. 

4 'At  least,  you  might  have  kept  the  place  in 
order,  and  not  let  it  get  'ramshackle,'  when  my 
father  never  asked  you  for  any  rent  or  any- 
thing, all  these  years.  If  he  hadn't  died  sud- 
denly, and  had  made  a  will  and  appointed  a 
guardian  for  us,  you  wouldn't  treat  us  this  way. 
But  something  must  be  done.  If  father  had 
known  you  better  he  would  never  have  told 
me  to  come  on  here  without  having  anybody 
else  to  protect  our  interests."  Alberta  felt  that 
she  was  putting  the  case  very  well.  "Now  I'm 
going  to  ask  somebody  what  to  do.  Perhaps 
some  land  can  be  sold,  anyway.  There's  a 
meadow  lot — " 

194 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Mrs.  Knight  ceased  to  draw  her  needle  in  and 
out  of  her  cloth,  and  dropped  her  thimble  on  the 
floor.  She  stooped  to  recover  it,  and  when  she 
raised  her  head  her  face  had  gone  pale. 

"You  don't  want  to  go  and  bring  in  strangers 
to  manage  affairs  that  belong  to  the  family,  do 
you?"  she  asked  in  a  trembling  voice.  "You're 
just  a  girl  and  you  don't  know  nothing  about 
the  troubles  people  have  with  property,  to  make 
it  pay  an  income.  As  for  the — the  meadow  lot, 
why,  it's  just  so  much  grass.  Can't  nothing  be 
done  with  grass,  as  I  know,  except  to  sell  the 
hay.  And  I  haven't  nobody  to  cut  it,  anyway." 

Alberta  had  a  sudden  illumination.  She  had 
been  reading  only  yesterday,  in  a  biography  of  a 
renowned  Kentuckian,  of  the  wonderful  things 
that  had  been  done  with  the  hemp-fields  down 
in  this  Blue  Grass  region. 

"Can't  we  put  the  field  in  hemp?" 

Mrs.  Knight  looked  as  if  the  girl  had  taken 
leave  of  her  senses.  "Much  you  know  about 
farming!"  she  sniffed. 

"Something  has  got  to  be  done,"  repeated  Al- 
berta. "We  can't  sit  down  here  and  let  things 
go  at  loose  ends  this  way.  There  is  a  great  deal 
of  land  belonging  to  what  you  won't  call  'an 
estate ' — that  I  know.  And  land  can't  run  away. 
It  can  be  turned  into  money  in  some  way.  I 

195 


LIBERTY    HALL 

might  sign  something  with  you,  or  arrange  some 
way.  I'm  going  to  ask  Mrs.  Beacham  about  it. 
Judge  Beacham  is  a  lawyer.  You  see,  aunt,  we 
simply  must  have  a  little  money,  right  away. 
There's  the  school  bill—" 

"Where's  that  money  for  your  furniture?" 

"It  hasn't  come  yet.  Besides,  when  it  does, 
there  are  a  hundred  and  one  things  to  do  with  it. 
Dotty  has  a  great  talent  for  music.  I  must  give 
her  a  musical  education.  It  takes  a  lot  of  money. 
I  have  to  have  some  of  that  money  for  a  begin- 
ning. And  then,  there  are  winter  clothes.  We 
have  to  have  shoes,"  and  Alberta  showed  her 
feet,  in  a  pair  of  shabby  summer  pumps. 

Mrs.  Knight,  who  had  merely  looked  incred- 
ulous and  contemptuous  at  the  suggestion  of 
music,  understood  the  need  of  shoes:  "I  might 
raise  five  dollars,"  she  said,  slowly,  as  if  being 
pinched  by  some  invisible,  malicious  fairy. 
"You  can  buy  yourself  and  the  child  shoes  out 
of  that." 

"Thank  you,  aunt,"  answered  Alberta,  touched 
at  the  plaintive  tone.  She  remembered  what 
Martha  had  told  her.  "I  don't  want  to  take 
your  own  money,"  she  added.  "It  oughtn't  to 
be  necessary." 

"I'll  get  it  right  away,"  and  Mrs.  Knight  rose 
with  an  eagerness  that  made  the  girl  hesitate. 

196 


LIBERTY    HALL 

It  looked  like  a  bribe  to  put  her  off  from  doing 
what  she  had  threatened.  She  felt  worried  and 
uncertain.  It  was  certainly  a  dreadful  thing  to 
have  to  suspect  a  relative,  and  one  to  whom  her 
father  had  confided  her,  of  an  effort  to  cheat 
her  and  Dotty.  Yet  there  was  something  she 
did  not  understand  about  the  whole  matter. 
Why  should  her  aunt  object  to  trying  to  do 
something  with  the  lot? 

"No,  wait  till  to-morrow,  anyway.  Aunt, 
haven't  you  really  any  money  at  all  except  what 
you  earn  by  sewing?  It  seems  awfully  queer 
that  my  father  shouldn't  have  known  about  it, 
if  you  are  so  poor." 

"I'm  not  one  to  complain.  Do  you  suppose 
I'm  telling  lies?  If  I  had  a  private  fortune  hid 
away  somewhere  do  you  think  I'd  be  slaving  at 
tailoring?" 

Alberta  felt  that  to  prolong  the  talk  could  do 
no  good.  Dotty  had  hidden  her  eyes  on  her 
sister's  shoulder  and  would  soon  cry.  The  older 
girl  tried  to  brighten  up. 

"Never  mind;  we'll  let  it  go  for  to-night,  any- 
way. I'll  wash  up  the  dishes."  She  lifted  the 
tray. 

Mrs.  Knight  came  over  quickly  and  took  it 
out  of  her  hands.  "I'll  wash 'em.  You  probably 
have  lessons  to  do.  It's  no  matter.  I — I  was 

197 


LIBERTY    HALL 

feeling  hurried  and  nervous.  Maybe  you  think 
I'm  crosser  than  sin,  sometimes,  but  I've  a  lot 
on  my  mind."  The  widow's  voice  was  softer 
than  usual,  and  Alberta  imagined  that  she 
furtively  wiped  her  eyes. 

"I'm  willing  to  help  you,  aunt.  If  there's  no 
money,  of  course  we  must  do  the  best  we  can. 
Let  me  wipe  them,  anyway." 

"No,  no;  I'd  rather  do  'em  myself." 

"  Allie,  don't  let's  stay  here  any  more,"  begged 
Dotty,  up  in  their  room,  where  Alberta  was  try- 
ing to  coax  a  fire  to  burn  on  the  hearth.  "If 
you  could  only  see  Mrs.  Dezevolos'  bath- 
room, sister!  That  is  a  house.  It's  ever  so 
much  nicer  than  Mrs.  Potter's,  out  at  home, 
isn't  it?  And  why  can't  we  go  and  live  with 
Cousin  Dollery?  She's  only  got  a  little  bit  of 
a  house,  but  it's  so  sweet.  Then  we  could  visit 
round,  and  stay  with  our  friends." 

"Goodness  gracious!  You  have  got  ideas! 
People  don't  do  that  sort  of  thing,  dearie.  The}*- 
have  to  have  homes  of  their  own.  I'm  awfully 
sorry  I  can't  do  something  to  make  you  happy 
here,  my  pet,  but  we'll  just  have  to  get  along 
till  we  can  do  better." 

"When?"  asked  Dotty,  and  Alberta  wished 
that  she  could  answer.  After  more  reflection 
she  decided  to  buy  the  shoes  from  the  little  fund 

198 


LIBERTY    HALL 

she  had  saved.  She  had  been  so  industrious 
that  the  canton-flannel  toys  had  already  brought 
seven  dollars,  and  there  was  a  prospect  of  four 
or  five  more.  The  next  day  she  visited  the  big 
store,  which  had  a  department  for  groceries  and 
another  for  clothing.  Dotty  was  soon  fitted  out 
with  a  nice  pair  of  little  boots  and  some  rubbers. 
Then  her  own  turn  came  and  she  was  obliged  to 
economize.  She  detested  cheap  shoes.  It  was  a 
real  discomfort  to  her  to  see  on  her  well-shaped 
feet  such  boots  as  her  purse  enabled  her  to  select 
from  the  assortment  shown  her;  and  the  clerk 
shook  his  head  gloomily  over  them. 

At  that  unpropitious  moment  Hannah  Beach- 
am  entered  the  store,  accompanied  by  one  of 
her  friends,  a  fashionable  girl  several  years  old- 
er than  herself.  She  was  saying,  significantly: 
"  You  don't  mean  to  get  those  here?  We  always 
send  to  Louisville." 

"But  father  likes  us  to  patronize  the  store 
here.  And  really,  Geraldine,  they  have  pretty 
shoes.  I  don't  mean  those —  Why,  Alberta,  is 
this  you?  My  friend,  Miss  Simms.  Are  you 
buying  shoes?  Horrid  nuisance,  isn't  it?  That 
pair  isn't  so  bad.  Do  you  think  so,  Gerry?" 
And  she  held  up  one  of  the  kind  poor  Alberta 
longed  for  but  had  put  aside  as  out  of  her  reach. 
She  drew  her  feet  under  her  gown,  in  that  un- 

'4  199 


LIBERTY    HALL 

reasonable,  but  entirely  natural  shame  over  pov- 
erty that  any  girl  who  is  thrown  with  richer 
companions  suffers  at  times.  On  Hannah's 
wrist  dangled  a  silver  purse,  filled  with  bills  and 
silver,  but  she  did  not  need  to  open  it  here,  for 
the  Beachams,  as  well  as  nearly  everybody  else 
of  importance  in  Elmville,  had  a  running  account 
at  the  shops.  So  used  was  the  clerk  to  this  that 
he  asked,  quite  as  a  matter  of  course,  as  Alberta 
murmured  something  about  wearing  her  shoes 
home: 

"Charge,  miss?" 

What  a  way  out  this  offered !  For  an  instant 
there  rushed  over  Alberta  a  reckless  impulse  to 
buy  the  boots  she  wanted  and  let  the  amount  be 
entered  against  her  name.  Then  she  remem- 
bered something  her  father  had  once  said  to  her : 
"Debt  is  misery,  daughter.  Never  let  it  get 
hold  of  you."  Something  might  happen  to  pre- 
vent her  getting  any  more  money.  She  dared 
not  risk  it.  In  an  almost  inaudible  voice  she 
murmured : 

"No,  I'll  pay  for  them,"  and  drawing  out  her 
single  five-dollar  bill  and  the  two  ones,  she  ten- 
dered them  to  the  man,  feeling  intensely  con- 
scious of  the  eyes  of  the  girls,  politely  averted, 
but  surely  following  her  movements.  With  her 
package  in  her  hand  she  managed  to  preserve  a 

200 


LIBERTY    HALL 

gay  unconcern  while  waiting  for  sixty-five  cents 
change,  and  she  could  not  help  being  glad  that 
her  little  purse  was  of  silver  and  as  pretty  as 
that  of  the  elegantly  dressed  girls  who  were  now 
being  waited  on  so  zealously  by  the  clerk. 

"No  need  to  ask  them  whether  they  want  to 
give  as  much  as  six  dollars,"  thought  Alberta,  a 
little  bitterly.  "Well,  while  father  lived  we  had 
everything  nice,  too.  Poor  dad!  if  he  knew— 
I'm  glad  he  doesn't!"  And  she  began  to  ponder 
once  more  on  the  subject  of  doing  something 
with  that  meadow  lot — either  putting  it  in  hemp 
or  hay.  Surely  there  was  an  income  thrown 
away  by  letting  it  stay  idle. 

When  she  reached  the  Knight  house  there  was 
no  light  to  be  seen,  which  was  unusual.  Ordi- 
narily her  aunt  lit  the  lamp  early,  so  as  to  employ 
every  minute  before  supper-time  in  sewing.  The 
girls  stumbled  into  the  side  door  and  groped 
their  way  into  the  house. 

"Oh  dear!"  sighed  Dotty.  The  sigh  ex- 
pressed a  world  of  fatigue  and  depression. 
Alberta  hugged  her  and  gave  her  a  little  kiss,  on 
the  way  to  the  mantel  where  she  tried  to  find 
the  matches. 

" Heavens !"  she  screamed,  recoiling.  "Is  this 
you,  aunt?" 

Striking  the  match  she  had  found,  she  stared 


2OI 


LIBERTY    HALL 

at  the  rocking-chair.  Mrs.  Knight  sat,  or  rather 
lay,  in  the  chair,  apparently  in  a  swoon.  The 
match  fell  from  Alberta's  hand,  but  with  much 
presence  of  mind  she  struck  another  and  lit  the 
candle  that  stood  on  the  mantel.  Then  she 
turned  toward  the  motionless  figure  and  began 
to  rub  the  woman's  hands,  which  were  warm, 
although  the  pulse  beat  very  faintly. 

"Give  me  the  hartshorn,  Dotty — quick!  It's 
on  the  shelf  beside  the  clock!" 

Dotty  obeyed,  and  after  applying  the  strong 
spirits  to  her  aunt's  nose  and  dabbing  cold 
water  on  her  temples  the  anxious  girl  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  color  creep  back 
into  the  pallid  face.  Mrs.  Knight  moved  and 
breathed  more  strongly.  Then  she  opened  her 
eyes. 

"For  God's  sake,  don't!"  she  said,  hoarsely 
and  earnestly. 

"Aunt!" 

Mrs.  Knight  started.  "It's  you?  How  long 
have  you  been  here?  Was  I  fool  enough  to 
faint?" 

"We  just  came  in  and  found  you — uncon- 
scious! Let  me  help  you  up-stairs?"  Alberta 
was  trembling  from  excitement  and  worry,  but 
she  still  tried  to  keep  her  head.  Dotty  seemed 
stunned,  and  remained  in  the  corner  where  she 

202 


LIBERTY    HALL 

had  taken  up  her  position  on  entering  the 
sitting-room. 

"I  guess  I'm  all  right  now,"  said  Mrs.  Knight, 
making  an  effort  to  get  up.  "Curious  of  me  to 
faint.  I  never  did  such  a  thing  before  in  my 
life."  Her  voice  was  apologetic.  But  she  cast 
a  nervous  glance  about  the  room  and  asked  her 
niece  to  light  all  the  lamps — everywhere! 

"  Something  frightened  her,"  thought  Alberta, 
as  she  complied,  even  to  the  extent  of  touching 
a  match  to  the  ancient  lamp  that  hung  in  the 
front  hall.  The  illumination  altered  the  aspect 
of  things.  She  found  it  possible  to  speak  cheer- 
fully as  she  laid  off  her  hat  and  began  to  set 
the  tea-table. 

"  Don't  you  bother,  aunt.  I'll  make  you  some 
tea,"  she  said.  "I  guess  you  have  worked  too 
hard.  You  don't  get  out  of  doors  enough.  Oh, 
please  let  me  do  it!"  For  Mrs.  Knight  had  res- 
olutely got  up  and  walked  toward  the  kitchen. 

"I've  got  no  objections.  You  can  do  what 
you  like.  There's  eggs  and  some  cold  biscuits 
in  the  safe,"  she  said,  motioning  toward  that 
receptacle.  "But  I'm  going  to  look  around  a 
bit." 

With  a  wary  step  she  went  from  one  room  to 
another,  keenly  scrutinizing  corners  and  even 
opening  the  doors  that  led  on  to  the  little  back 

203 


LIBERTY    HALL 

porches.  Alberta  and  Dotty  watched  her  in  as- 
tonishment and  anxiety.  But  when  the  tea  was 
made  and  food  set  forth  she  sat  down  with  them 
and  pretended  to  eat  and  drink,  although  it  was 
plainly  a  pretense.  Not  a  morsel  passed  her 
dry  lips. 

"I  want  you  should  go  and  ask  Judge  Beacham 
to  step  over  here — please,"  she  said,  as  soon  as 
supper  was  over  and  the  dishes  carried  to  the 
kitchen.  At  this  extraordinary  request  Alberta 
felt  her  eyes  rolling  in  her  head  like  black 
Clarissa's. 

"Let  me  go  with  you,  sister — please  let  me," 
Dotty  whispered,  and  Alberta  consented.  They 
both  ran  across  to  the  brightly  lighted  house  and 
rang  the  front-door  bell. 

Fred  came  to  the  door.  "Hullo!  Come  in. 
Have  you  come  over  to  play  Indian  with  me?" 
he  asked  Dotty,  sociably,  opening  the  door  wide. 

"I  want  to  see  your  father,  Fred.  No,  we 
can't  come  in.  My  aunt  sent  me  for  the  judge. 
It's  some  business.  Please  tell  him."  She  ven- 
tured this  addition  on  her  own  responsibility. 

In  a  moment  Judge  Beacham  appeared,  carry- 
ing his  hat.  "Hadn't  you  young  ladies  better 
go  into  the  parlor  and  stay  with  the  girls? 
They're  having  some  fun  in  there." 

But  Alberta  didn't  feel  in  the  mood  for  com- 
204 


LIBERTY    HALL 

pany,  nor  able  to  keep  control  of  her  nerves 
much  longer.  She  wanted  to  avoid  the  lively 
company  whose  merry  exclamations  reached  her 
in  the  hall.  So  she  declined,  and  accompanied 
the  judge  across  the  street,  leaving  him  in  the 
sitting-room  with  her  aunt,  and  mounting  to 
her  room  with  Dotty.  Once  there  the  child's 
excitement  found  expression  in  a  flood  of 
exclamations  and  questions. 

"Allie,  isn't  it  all  dreadful!  What  are  we 
going  to  do?"  she  repeated,  again  and  again. 

"Dearie,  you  just  go  to  sleep  like  a  darling. 
I'll  tell  you  the  story  of  Grandmother  Redcap, 
if  you'll  be  quiet,"  and  Alberta  compelled  her- 
self to  put  her  attention  on  the  tale  which  always 
induced  slumber  when  everything  else  failed. 
But  to-night  it  did  not  succeed.  Dotty  tried  to 
be  still,  but  every  time  her  sister  paused  her  eyes 
flew  open  again  and  some  new  question  was 
asked. 

"Oh  dear  me!"  sighed  Alberta,  finding  the 
r61e  of  little  mother  very  difficult,  almost  for  the 
first  time.  "Do  you  want  a  drink  of  water, 
dear?" 

Dotty  decided  that  she  did,  and  Alberta  ran 
softly  down  the  back  stairway  to  the  kitchen. 
She  heard  voices  in  earnest  conversation  in  the 
sitting-room,  and  although  she  resolutely  re- 

205 


LIBERTY    HALL 

framed  from  listening,  one  sentence  reached 
her: 

"I'm  going  to  look  after  him,  Judge,  and  make 
him  a  home  to  die  in,  anyway,  if  I  haven't  been 
able  to  keep  him,  living." 

"The  tramp!"  thought  the  girl,  her  heart 
beating  tumultuously.  "He's  what  frightened 
aunt!" 

Far  into  the  night  the  thought  pursued  her 
and  her  dreams  were  an  uneasy  medley  of 
tramps,  and  nights,  with  some  unseen  persons 
running  behind  to  catch  her  and  Dotty.  She 
waked  to  hear  her  aunt's  voice,  very  cool  and 
ordinary  in  tone,  calling  out  that  it  was  eight 
o'clock  and  that  she'd  be  late  for  school  if  she 
didn't  hurry. 


CHAPTER  XII 

NOT  a  word  passed  between  Mrs.  Knight  and 
her  nieces  about  her  fainting  attack,  then 
or  later.  Life  went  on  in  its  usual  routine  and 
the  tramp  seemed  to  have  been  swallowed  up 
by  the  earth.  Perhaps  the  aunt  was  less  rude 
toward  the  girls  than  before;  she  appeared  to 
avoid  controversy  with  Alberta,  and  said  noth- 
ing about  her  comings  or  goings,  nor  did  she 
now  interfere  with  Martha's  efforts  to  mitigate 
the  hardships  of  their  life  in  the  chilly,  forlorn 
old  house.  When  they  came  from  school  they 
now  found  a  cheery  fire  burning  on  the  hearth 
in  their  room;  sometimes  a  plate  of  cookies  or 
apples  was  on  the  little  stand.  Alberta  re- 
monstrated with  the  old  colored  woman  about 
doing  these  things. 

"You  know  I  haven't  any  money  at  all  to 
give  you,  and  I  won't  have  you  spending  your 
earnings  on  us.  Why,  it's  ridiculous,  Martha! 
You  know  we  love  you  for  it,  but — you  just 
mustn't!" 

207 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Honey,  I  hasn't  either  kith  or  kin  o'  my 
own,  and  why  shouldn't  I  do  a  leetle  to  make 
you-all  comfortable?  I  earns  a  heap  o'  money, 
chile.  Mrs.  Dezevolos  done  give  me  five  dollars 
for  quiltin'  her  a  comfortable  for  the  cook's  bed, 
and  what  I  gwine  do  with  all  that?  You  kin  ease 
yo'  mind,  honey — you'll  be  able  to  do  more  for 
old  Martha  some  time  than  she  has  did  for 
you!"  And  the  old  woman  nodded  her  head 
mysteriously. 

"What  do  you  mean?  I  wish  there  was  some 
prospect  of  that,"  answered  Alberta,  sighing,  as 
she  thought  of  her  unpurchased  furniture  off  in 
Topeka  and  all  the  needs  of  winter  crowding 
upon  her. 

"You's  gwine  come  into  yo'  own;  Martha 
tells  you  so.  'Ain't  I  seen  yo'  fortune  in  the  tea- 
cups and  don't  it  say  that  all's  comin'  out  right 
for  both  o'  you?" 

"Tea-cups!  Well — I  wish  they  would  tell  the 
time  of  the  good  luck,"  laughed  Alberta. 

"As  for  Dotty  here,  I's  mighty  pleased  to 
see  Mrs.  Dezevolos  take  such  a  shine  to  her! 
Maybe  she'll  adopt  her.  Wouldn't  that  be 
fine?" 

"If  that's  your  idea  of  good  fortune,  I  don't 
like  it.  I'd  rather  you'd  see  some  way  of  my 
making  money  enough  to  do  everything  for 

208 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Dotty  myself.  Can't  you  find  a  way  for  us  to 
make  a  fortune  out  of  the  meadow  lot?" 

A  keen  look  came  into  old  Martha's  eyes  and 
she  looked  slyly  at  her  favorite. 

"That's  what  I's  a-prayin'  for,  honey.  Now 
jest  you  pray  for  it,  too,  and  maybe  it  '11  come 
true."  Then  she  closed  her  lips  and  went  away, 
leaving  Alberta  greatly  puzzled.  But,  most  un- 
accountably, the  thing  she  did  when  she  was 
left  alone  was  to  go  to  the  dingy  looking-glass 
that  hung  high  over  her  bureau  and  give  an 

earnest  look  at  her  features.     Then  she  took 

m 

down  her  hair  and  did  it  over  in  a  new 
way. 

"That  does  look  better,"  she  thought.  Then 
she  colored  and  giggled  at  herself  as  she  took 
out  of  the  drawer  her  one  valuable  ornament,  a 
pearl  brooch  that  had  been  her  mother's,  and 
fastened  it  in  her  white  silk  blouse.  It  was 
Young  Folks*  evening,  and  she  was  going  for 
the  first  time  to  a  reception  at  the  Beacham 
house.  Dotty  had  been  invited  to  spend  the 
day  and  night  with  Mrs.  Dezevolos.  Her  simple 
white  gown  looked  very  pretty  and  dainty,  and 
she  had  slippers  to  wear  with  it.  She  thought 
she  might  venture  to  run  across  the  street  in 
them,  although  the  night  was  almost  cold,  and 
she  was  a  prudent  girl,  having  been  so  long 

209 


LIBERTY    HALL 

obliged  to  look  after  her  own  health  and  Dotty's. 
It  was  a  little  after  eight  o'clock,  and  she  peeped 
out  of  her  window  before  descending  the  stairs. 
The  Beacham  house  was  more  brightly  illu- 
minated than  usual,  and  now  some  one  came  to 
the  door  and  admitted  several  persons.  Then 
strains  of  music  crept  softly  over  to  her,  and 
she  leaned  dreamily  on  the  sill  a  moment,  think- 
ing of  how  well  young  Dezevolos  danced  and 
wondering  whether  he  would  ask  her  to  dance 
with  him.  There  was  something  exceedingly 
attractive  about  him. 

"Alberta,  come  here  a  minute,"  said  the  voice 
of  Mrs.  Knight,  as  the  girl  opened  the  sitting- 
room  door.  The  room  was  strangely  in  order. 
No  sewing  was  in  evidence;  everything  had 
been  put  away.  Something  singular  about  it 
struck  her. 

"I — I  hope  you'll  have  a  good  time,"  mum- 
bled her  aunt,  like  a  person  speaking  un- 
accustomed words. 

"Thank  you,  aunt.  I  wish  you  had  some- 
body to  keep  you  company,"  answered  her 
niece,  responding  quickly  to  the  new  tone  and 
manner.  She  would  have  liked  to  make  a  more 
positive  advance,  but  it  was  difficult.  "I  won't 
be  late.  Don't  sit  up,  you  know.  I'm  so  glad 
you're  resting  to-night  and  not  working."  In- 

2IO 


LIBERTY    HALL 

voluntarily  she  glanced  toward  the  corner 
where  the  sewing-machine  stood.  It  was  not 
there,  nor  was  the  work-basket  on  the  table. 

Mrs.  Knight's  look  followed  hers.  "I've  been 
making  some  changes  to-day,"  she  said  in  a 
conscious  manner.  "This  room  was  getting  too 
littered  up.  It  '11  look  better  when  you  want  to 
have  a  little  company  if  all  my  truck  isn't  in  it." 

"That's  lovely  of  you,  auntie.  How  nice  it 
looks!  But  indeed,  I  don't  want  you  to  make 
yourself  uncomfortable  for  us!"  Alberta  was 
amazed.  She  stood  near  the  door,  a  black  lace 
scarf  drawn  over  her  head,  a  white  shawl  on  her 
arm,  pretty  and  fresh,  confronting  the  worn 
woman  who  was  now  scrutinizing  her  with  what 
appeared  to  be  a  kind  and  interested  expression. 
Yet  there  was  something  in  it  that  did  not  in- 
vite advances.  It  seemed  more  like  a  good-by! 
To  emphasize  it,  Mrs.  Knight  held  out  her 
seamed  hand: 

"I've  told  the  judge  that  they'd  best  keep 
you  all  night  over  there  to-night.  I — I'm  going 
to  have  a  kind  of  little  meeting  here  that 
wouldn't  interest  you  and  might  disturb  you. 
Maybe  it  '11  be  a  good  thing  for  you  both.  I 
reckon  we  can  be  better  friends  from  now  on, 
Alberta.  Goodnight!" 

Tears  were  in  the  girl's  eyes  as  she  shut  the 

211 


LIBERTY    HALL 

door  and  left  the  strange  woman  standing  in  the 
room.  Why  hadn't  she  kissed  her  aunt  and 
responded  with  all  the  warmth  she  would  have 
felt  toward  any  one  else,  to  the  wonderful 
advance  that  had  just  been  made? 

"Perhaps  things  really  are  going  to  be  better, 
and  we  may  learn  to  like  each  other,"  she 
thought,  gladly,  and  her  eyes  were  full  of  hap- 
piness as  she  ran  in  the  Beacham  door.  Hannah 
welcomed  her  with  a  warm  hug. 

"Mother  says  we  are  to  keep  you  all  night, 
honey,"  she  whispered.  "Isn't  that  splendif- 
erous? Come  in.  We're  having  a  queer  new 
dance  that  one  of  Roy's  friends  has  imported 
from  New  York.  You  never  saw  anything  so 
perfectly  fascinating  in  your  life!  Roy  is 
teaching  it  to  all  of  us." 

It  was  a  delightful  evening.  The  Beachams 
were  so  kind,  the  other  girls  so  cordial,  the  boys 
so  polite  and  attentive,  that  Alberta  forgot  all 
the  worries  and  chagrins  of  the  past  week  and 
gave  herself  up  to  the  good  time  everybody 
seemed  determined  she  should  have.  Roy  not 
only  asked  her  to  dance  twice,  but  complimented 
her  on  her  dancing.  And  although  John  Gil- 
patrick  did  not  dance,  and  stood  about  rather 
awkwardly  in  doorways,  merely  grinning  good- 
humoredly  at  the  younger  ones,  she  had  several 

212 


LIBERTY    HALL 

snatches  of  talk  with  him  that  interested  her 
hugely.  He  certainly  could  say  sensible  things 
— this  plain,  awkward  John.  And  it  seemed  that 
he  meant  to  make  a  good  thing  out  of  his  life — 
not  merely  drift  along,  as  most  of  his  associates 
appeared  to  be  doing.  They  talked  architecture, 
politics,  history,  and  it  was  not  until  a  jolly 
young  fellow  to  whom  Alberta  was  engaged  for 
the  supper  dance  came  over  to  their  secluded 
sofa  and  claimed  his  partner  with  a  gibe  at 
"people's  exclusiveness,"  that  she  realized  John 
had  paid  scarcely  any  attention  to  any  one  else. 

"Such  an  old  boy  as  that  has  no  right  to 
monopolize  our  partners,"  protested  the  gay 
youth  who  was  supplying  her  with  bonbons  and 
ices  in  the  lovely  old  dining-room,  where  she 
caught  herself  staring  at  the  walls  in  delight.  It 
was  all  deep,  dark  crimson,  with  frescoed  walls 
and  splendid  mahogany  furniture  that  had  been 
in  the  Beacham  family  for  generations.  Alberta 
began  to  wonder  if  any  possibilities  lay  in  the 
furniture  in  the  Knight  house.  "John's  at  least 
twenty-two,"  continued  the  young  man,  indig- 
nantly. "  He's  only  an  honorary  member  of  this 
club,  but  suddenly  he's  taken  to  coming  to  our 
meetings." 

"  Hasn't  he  the  right?"  asked  Alberta,  amused 
at  the  outburst. 

213 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Oh,  I  reckon  we  can't  dispute  his  right. 
John's  a  nice  fellow.  Say,  Miss  Alberta,  Tom 
Mallony  told  me  something  awfully  nice  about 
you!  He  thinks  you're  the  best-natured  girl  in 
the  world  and  tremendously  clever!" 

"Goon.     I  love  flattery!" 

"Oh,  say  now!  It  isn't  flattery  to  tell  a  girl 
she's  smart.  You  only  flatter  when  you  talk 
sweet  things  about  a  person's  looks,  you  know." 

"Oh,  I  see!  Well,  be  careful  not  to  say  any- 
thing about  my  looks  now,  or  I'll  know  what 
you  are  trying  to  do." 

The  boy  told  her  she  was  splendid  sport  and 
went  on  talking  nonsense.  It  was  all  part  of  a 
happy  evening  which  the  girl  long  remembered 
as  one  of  the  bright  bits  of  her  life.  She  was 
plainly  a  favorite  now,  in  this  little  circle; 
Gladys  was  especially  nice  to  her,  as  if  she 
wanted  to  make  up  for  past  coolness,  and  all  the 
others  were  cordial  and  friendly.  When  the 
circle  broke  up  she  went  to  the  luxurious  spare 
chamber  allotted  to  her,  and  got  into  the  big 
white  bed  with  its  downy  California  blankets 
and  silken  eider-down  quilt  and  dropped  to  sleep 
in  the  midst  of  a  happy  reverie. 

She  awoke  wondering  what  she  was  to  put  on. 
She  had  not  thought  of  that  before.  Fortu- 
nately it  was  Saturday,  and  she  could  slip  home 

214 


LIBERTY    HALL 

early,  but  how  about  appearing  at  the  Beacham 
breakfast-table  in  her  white  gown  and  slippers? 
Before  she  had  time  to  feel  uncomfortable  a 
maid  came  in  and  asked  her  pleasantly,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  if  she  would  have  her  bath 
now.  Then  she  opened  another  door,  turned  on 
the  water  in  the  bath-tub,  disappeared  for  a 
moment,  and  returned  with  a  straw  grip  which 
Alberta  recognized  as  her  own.  Unpacking  it, 
she  disclosed  the  little  black  frock  which  she 
was  accustomed  to  wear  to  school. 

"Your  aunt  sent  this  over,  miss.  Martha 
brought  it." 

"How  thoughtful!"  reflected  the  girl,  happy 
in  the  luxury  of  a  warm  tub  in  a  well-heated 
bath-room.  "What  in  the  world  has  come  over 
aunt?  Is  she  beginning  to  like  us,  at  last!" 

Breakfast  was  a  jolly  meal.  Mrs.  Beacham 
poured  the  coffee,  the  judge  helped  the  guest 
to  delicately  broiled  ham  so  liberally,  and  the 
servants  brought  so  many  piping-hot  flannel- 
cakes  with  maple  syrup  that  Alberta  protested 
that  she  was  eating  too  much — to  which  every- 
body retorted  that  she  ate  like  a  bird  and  that 
Fred  gave  no  one  else  a  chance  when  there  were 
breakfast  cakes.  He  wanted  twenty,  at  least! 

"Why   didn't  you   bring  your   sister?"   de- 
manded the  small  boy. 
15  215 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Alberta  explained  that  she  was  staying  with 
Mrs.  Dezevolos.  At  that  moment  the  telephone 
rang  and  the  lad  sprang  to  answer  it. 

"Hullo — hullo!  Yes,  she's  here — at  breakfast. 
I  say,  Miss  Alberta,  it's  somebody  for  you." 

"For  me?. .  .  Oh  yes,  Mrs.  Dezevolos.  Thank 
you  ever  so  much.  I'll  be  perfectly  delighted. 
I'll  ask  them.  Please  wait  a  minute.  Girls, 
Mrs.  Dezevolos  wants  us  all  to  go  to  Lexington 
with  her— to  the  Working  Girls'  Club.  They 
have  an  exhibition.  Can  you  go?" 

"Indeed  we  can!"  cried  Minnie  and  Hannah 
in'concert.  In  a  few  minutes  the  breakfast  came 
to  an  end  and  everybody  began  to  bustle  about, 
getting  wraps  and  veils  and  talking  of  a  dozen 
different  things  at  once  in  the  agreeable  way  of 
girls  when  they  are  excited.  About  eleven 
o'clock  the  touring-car  swept  up  the  drive  and 
Dotty's  bright  face  peeped  out  from  Mrs.  Deze- 
volos' side.  She  was  enveloped  in  a  little  white 
fur  coat  and  cap,  and  Alberta  rubbed  her  eyes 
twice  before  she  could  believe  it  was  her  sister. 

"A  little  present  for  the  darling,"  whispered 
Mrs.  Dezevolos.  ' ' '  Sh-h !  You  must  let  me  have 
my  own  way.  I  have  no  little  girl  of  my  own 
to  dress  up,  and  I  owe  Dotty  something  nice  for 
frightening  her  half  to  death  running  over  the 
phaeton." 

216 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"She  sent  to  Louisville  for  it,  Allie!"  cried 
Dotty,  so  excited  and  happy  that  she  could  not 
keep  still  and  kept  bouncing  on  the  seat.  "It's 
my  birthday  present,  in  advance." 

"You  look  like  a  dear  little  polar-bear,"  said 
Minnie,  squeezing  her  affectionately.  "I  wish 
I  could  have  a  birthday  of  that  kind!" 

"I  think  your  coat  is  almost  as  pretty,"  said 
the  courteous  Dotty,  looking  at  the  young  lady's 
handsome  otter-trimmed  jacket,  which  vastly 
became  her  blond  fairness.  "But,  of  course, 
there  isn't  anything  exactly  as  nice  as  this." 
And  she  hugged  herself  in  the  soft  white  fur, 
feeling  that  she  had  got  into  a  fairy  palace 
where  everything  a  child  wished  immediately 
appeared.  She  adored  lovely  furs,  as  she  had 
privately  confessed  to  her  kind  hostess,  without 
in  the  least  imagining  that  she  could  ever  own 
such  a  lovely  thing  as  this  coat.  There  was  even 
a  little  muff,  too,  with  a  tiny  pointed  head, 
having  the  brightest  green  eyes,  almost  like  a 
living  animal.  Dotty  felt  that  she  would  never 
lack  for  companionship.  The  little  coat  and 
muff  were  company. 

The  girls  were  driven  directly  to  the  club,  and 
spent  an  hour  there,  not  only  viewing  the  ex- 
cellent work  on  exhibition,  but  giving  a  liberal 
order,  which  Mrs.  Dezevolos  paid  for  on  the 

217 


LIBERTY    HALL 

spot  with  crisp  new  greenbacks.  A  charming 
young  woman  about  eighteen  made  it  her  busi- 
ness to  show  them  around,  and  Alberta  was  more 
interested  than  in  all  the  subsequent  sights  of 
Lexington  which  came  after  this  visit. 

It  was  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
Alberta  and  Dotty  were  dropped  at  the  gate  of 
the  old  Lewis  house.  Before  the  car  went  off 
Mrs.  Dezevolos  looked  sharply  at  the  front  door, 
which,  curiously,  stood  ajar,  waved  her  hand  in  a 
mysterious  manner  to  some  one  who  stood 
looking  out,  half  hidden,  and  then  disappeared 
with  a  smile.  Alberta  saw  just  enough  of  this 
odd  proceeding  to  arouse  her  wonder.  Was  it 
possible  that  her  aunt  and  Mrs.  Dezevolos  were 
on  such  good  terms  as  it  seemed  to  indicate? 

Dotty  ran  a  little  ahead  and  was  at  the  door 
before  her.  An  exclamation  of  astonishment 
and  delight  came  from  the  child.  Alberta  hur- 
ried up  the  porch  steps,  to  be  taken  in  the  arms 
of  Cousin  Dollery,  while  Martha,  from  the  rear, 
roared,  in  her  mellow  voice:  "Bress  the  Lord! 
Children,  you's  home  now  for  shore!  Old  time 
done  come  back  to  the  Lewises,  and  we's  all 
gwine  be  happy!" 

The  house  was  transformed.  Alberta  saw 
that  from  the  vestibule,  which  wore  an  air  of 
putting  its  best  side  foremost.  The  woodwork 

218 


LIBERTY    HALL 

was  shining,  a  pretty  rug  lay  in  the  square  hall, 
and  the  parlor  door,  open,  gave  a  glimpse  of  a 
splendid  fire  burning  on  the  hearth,  which  was 
garnished  with  a  magnificent  pair  of  brass  "fire- 
dogs,"  routed  out  from  the  garret  and  burnished 
like  gold.  The  ugly  haircloth  furniture  was 
beautified  by  bright  chintz  covers,  cushions  lay 
carelessly  about  the  sofa  and  easy-chairs,  a 
handsome,  tall  Japanese  vase  stood  in  one  cor- 
ner and  an  old,  faded,  but  pretty  screen  in  an- 
other. There  were  flowers  in  little  vases  on 
the  stands;  late  autumn  chrysanthemums, 
golden  and  violet,  with  sprays  of  feathery  clem- 
atis caressing  them.  To  crown  all,  a  big  cat 
lay  before  the  hearth,  basking  in  the  warmth. 
Mrs.  Knight  hated  cats — but  Mrs.  Knight  could 
not  possibly  be  associated  with  all  these  changes ; 
with  the  pleasant,  cheery  feeling  that  was  every- 
where, that  greeted  one  at  the  door-sill  and 
extended  to  the  very  ceilings  of  the  room,  which 
was  aglow  from  the  sunshine  that  poured 
through  the  long-closed  western  windows. 

"I'm  in  the  wrong  house,"  sighed  Alberta, 
looking  at  Miss  Dollery,  then  at  the  cat. 

"No,  dearie;  it's  all  right,"  laughed  the  little 
woman,  who  was  in  a  state  of  excitement  that 
almost  rivaled  Dotty's.  She  seized  both  girls 
in  her  arms  and  hugged  them.  "Come,  sit  down 

219 


LIBERTY    HALL 

here  with  me  on  the  sofa  while  I  tell  you  all 
about  it!" 

Alberta  felt  a  sudden  conviction  that  her  aunt 
was  not  in  the  house.  She  did  not  know  why  or 
how  it  had  come  about,  but  she  said  afterward 
that  she  was  perfectly  certain,  from  the  expan- 
sive manner  of  her  cousin,  who  had  hitherto  been 
so  subdued  even  when  speaking  of  Mrs.  Knight, 
that  this  restraint  had  passed  away.  Miss 
Dollery  had  an  air  of  being  perfectly  at  home 
and  mistress  of  the  whole  situation! 

"I'm  dying  to  know!  Please  tell  me,  quick. 
I  know  something  has  happened,  but  I  can't 
imagine  what  it  is — " 

Miss  Dollery  seemed  to  have  difficulty  in 
beginning.  Now  that  the  moment  she  had  an- 
ticipated had  come,  it  was  almost  too  much  for 
her.  She  looked  appealingly  at  Martha,  who 
had  respectfully  waited  for  her  to  speak  first, 
but  came  forward  without  hesitation  in  answer 
to  that  glance. 

"Miss  Alberta,  honey — you  'ain't  got  no  call 
to  be  anyways  stir-up.  Yo'  aunt  done  gone 
away — for  good  an'  all!  She's  gone  to  jine  her 
husband.  Both  on  'em  took  the  train  this  very 
mornin'  for  some  place  'way  off  in  Tennessee. 
You  see,  honey,  Knight  he  was  a  moonshiner. 
He  got  up  ag'in  the  law  'way  back,  five  or  ten 

220 


LIBERTY    HALL 

years  ago,  and  the  old  lady  she  been  worryin' 
and  tuggin'  to  save  money  to  keep  him  straight. 
The  other  day  a  strange  woman  come  down  from 
the  mountains  and  laid  an  information  with  yo' 
aunt  that  she  was  gwine  to  blow  on  Knight, 
who'd  tricked  her  someway.  The  old  lady  she 
determined  at  once  that  she  was  gwine  to  stand 
by  her  husband.  You  seen  him  once,  honey," 
she  added,  discreetly,  in  a  lower  tone,  glancing 
at  Dotty,  who  was  listening  with  all  her  ears. 

Alberta  nodded  breathlessly. 

Martha  continued:  "Well,  that  ain't  much 
to  say  'ceptin'  that,  now  the  old  lady's  left,  you 
is  the  mistress  of  the  house,  like  you  ought  to 
be.  They  ain't  much  money,  but  old  Martha, 
she's  goin'  to  serve  you.  I  reckon  that  between 
chickens  an'  what  we  kin  raise,  an'  cord-wood 
bein'  dirt  cheap,  an'  you-all  havin'  good  friends 
to  look  after  you,  why,  honey,  I  think  you's  got 
reason  to  thank  the  Lord.  I  does,  indeed!" 

"Martha  is  perfectly  right,  dear.  I  will  add 
that  the  meadow  lot  which  you  spoke  to  me 
about  was  the  immediate  cause  of  your  aunt's 
deciding  to  leave  everything  to  you  and  go 
away.  Not  long  ago  she  had  a  talk  with  Judge 
Beacham,  and  acknowledged  to  him  that  some 
time  back,  in  a  great  stress,  she  tied  up  that 
property  by  borrowing  money  on  it  (five  hun- 

221 


LIBERTY    HALL 

dred  dollars,  I  think),  which  is  only  a  small  part 
of  its  value.  It  made  her  so  uneasy,  when  you 
came  here  to  live,  that  she  didn't  find  herself 
able  to  be  pleasant  to  you.  She  felt  that  she 
had  done  you  both  an  injustice,  and  she  was  in 
a  quandary  about  it.  She  had  saved  a  little, 
and  offered  to  refund  that  old  loan  when  she 
talked  to  the  judge.  But  he  told  her  he  be- 
lieved that  you  wouldn't  hold  her  bound — that 
you  would  be  glad  to  let  her  off.  She's  really 
poor,  honey,  with  that  good-for-nothing  husband 
she  ties  so  to.  He  hasn't  been  what  he  ought  to 
have  been,  of  course,  but  I  honor  her  for 
standing  by  him." 

"  So  do  I !  Oh,  why  didn't  she  tell  me  all  about 
it?  I'm  sorry — no,  I  can't  be  hypocritical 
enough  to  say  I'm  sorry  she's  resolved  to  live 
somewhere  else,  for  we  couldn't  be  happy  to- 
gether— but  I'd  have  done  what  I  could  for  her. 
Of  course  I  don't  want  any  money  back  from 
her."  And  tears  coursed  down  Alberta's  cheeks 
as  she  thought  of  all  the  forlorn  woman  had 
endured,  and  what  doubtful  comfort  she  had 
now  in  following  the  fortunes  of  her  husband. 

But  how  delightful  it  was  to  know  that  she, 
Alberta,  was  now  mistress  of  the  house!  What 
plans  raced  through  her  head  as  she  looked 
here  and  there,  inspecting  the  pantries  and 

222 


LIBERTY    HALL 

closets -freely,  observing  the  good  points  about 
the  rooms,  and  considering  what  improvements 
could  be  effected  at  a  very  small  expenditure 
of  money. 

"How  big  it  is!"  she  commented,  with  some 
dismay,  as  Martha  opened  one  door  after  an- 
other of  the  chain  of  up-stairs  rooms,  which  she 
had  never  before  seen,  and  disclosed  their  faded 
carpets  and  dusty  furniture.  "What  shall  I 
ever  do  with  all  this  space?  I  don't  want  it 
shut  up,  as  it  has  been.  It's  almost  big  enough 
for  a  little  hotel." 

A  smile  passed  over  Miss  Dollery's  face,  and 
she  clapped  her  hands.  "Alberta!  An  idea  has 
just  come  into  my  head.  Maybe  it's  a  crazy 
one,  but  maybe  not.  Miss  Elkins  was  telling 
me,  only  last  week,  that  she  was  in  a  dilemma 
about  finding  rooms  for  some  girls  that  want  to 
come  to  boarding-school.  She  doesn't  want  to 
put  them  in  any  of  the  places  where  she  could 
get  rooms,  for  then  there  wouldn't  be  any 
authority  over  them.  I  believe  she'd  be  de- 
lighted to  take  some  of  these  rooms  from  you, 
and  you  could  either  have  the  girls  take  their 
meals  with  you  or  board  somewhere  else — at  the 
Academy,  perhaps." 

"Good  gracious!"  Alberta  dropped  into  the 
nearest  seat  and  opened  her  eyes  as  widely  as 

223 


LIBERTY    HALL 

if  her  cousin  had  proposed  opening  a  menagerie 
in  the  old  house.  "I  to  take  Miss  Elkins's 
boarding-pupils !  Why,  they  would  ride  all  over 
me — I  couldn't  do  anything  with  them!  And 
then,  the  rooms  aren't  fit  for  them.  It  would 
take  lots  of  alteration  and  all  that.  Why, 
Cousin  Dollery,  I  don't  know  how  it  could 
be  done." 

"Well — maybe  it  is  a  crazy  notion.  But  it 
seems  a  pity  for  all  this  space  to  go  begging 
when  it  might  bring  you  an  income." 

44  How  would  we  manage  about  a  bath-room?" 
The  idea  began  to  appeal  to  Alberta.  It  prom- 
ised adventure  and  novelty  and  maybe  profit. 
She  began  to  feel  like  a  capitalist  as  she 
imagined  the  possibilities. 

"Pooh!  that  could  be  managed!  Any  one  of 
these  little  rooms  would  answer  the  purpose,  and, 
since  you  have  running  water  in  the  kitchen,  it 
would  only  mean  carrying  the  pipes  up-stairs 
and  putting  in  a  boiler.  Your  aunt  has  been 
using  coal  in  her  kitchen  range,  anyway,  and 
you  could  hire  a  boy  to  attend  to  that  for  you." 

"Jim  Hollis,"  nodded  Martha.  "And  he'd 
be  glad  to  take  care  o'  the  yard  for  you,  Miss 
Alberta.  You  mus'  have  somebody  to  run  yo' 
errands,  you  know." 

"Responsibilities  are  piling  on  me,"  said  the 
224 


LIBERTY    HALL 

girl,  with  an  alarmed  look.  "Would  you  like 
to  take  over  the  house  yourself,  cousin,  and 
run  it?" 

"  I'd  do  it  gladly,  if  I  thought  it  would  be  the 
best  thing  for  you.  But,  my  dear,  I  haven't  the 
least  scrap  of  talent  for  this  kind  of  manage- 
ment. I  should  do  you  more  harm  than  good. 
As  an  adviser  I'm  splendid,"  said  Miss  Dollery, 
laughing.  "As  a  manager  of  funds  I'm  not  a 
success." 

"But  I  haven't  any  funds — that's  just  the 
trouble!" 

"Honey,  your  friends  will  help  you  out.  Mr. 
Gilpatrick  will  get  a  plumber  and  a  builder  to 
do  what  you  must  have  done,  and  the  bills  can 
stand  until  convenient  for  you  to  settle.  I 
reckon  Miss  Elkins  would  pay  you  in  advance  for 
the  rooms.  If  you  would  rather  let  them  with- 
out giving  the  girls  meals,  it  might  be  easier." 

"There's  about  five  rooms  you  could  rent," 
observed  Martha. 

"Are  there  five  girls  to  put  in  them?  Do  you 
know,  Cousin  Dollery,  how  many  girls  want 
places?" 

"I  think  Miss  Elkins  could  fill  all  you  have, 
right  away,  and  even  more.  Why,  the  Academy 
is  fairly  running  over  this  year,  and  she's  pros* 
pering.  Think  it  over  and  don't  hurry.  If  you 

225 


LIBERTY    HALL 

think  of  a  better  idea,  why,  drop  this.  I  only 
thought  it  might  be  a  good  thing." 

"I  believe  it  is  a  good  thing.  Only — some- 
thing so  new  frightens  me.  It  seems  a  big 
undertaking  for  me  to  run  a  house  all  by  myself, 
for  other  people.  Merely  keeping  house  for 
Dotty  and  myself  I'd  think  was  fun." 

"Well,  my  dear,  maybe  money  enough  can  be 
squeezed  out  from  somewhere  to  let  you  do 
that.  It  does  seem  rather  too  much  responsi- 
bility, after  all." 

"And  yet,  I  believe  I'd  get  along,"  Alberta 
commented,  as  they  went  down-stairs  again. 
She  studied  the  dining-room  and  imagined  it 
filled  with  young,  bright  faces  and  pleasant  talk 
and  laughter,  instead  of  lonely  and  silent,  with 
only  Dotty  and  herself  in  it. 

Now  that  it  was  thoroughly  cleaned  and 
freshened,  the  good  old  carpet  scrubbed  with 
ammonia  and  hot  water,  the  woodwork  pol- 
ished and  the  furniture  changed  about,  it  wore 
a  new  aspect.  An  extension  table  had  been 
routed  out  of  the  garret  and  brought  down,  and 
it  stood  in  the  center  of  the  room  with  a  glass 
dish  of  feathery  clematis  in  it  on  a  pretty  mat 
that  Alberta  knew  had  come  from  her  cousin's 
store  of  linen. 

"You've  been  giving  us  your  things,"  she  said, 
226 


LIBERTY    HALL 

reproachfully.  "But  that  makes  me  think— 
napkins — and  table-cloths — and  towels — and  ev- 
erything girls  have  to  have.  Oh,  cousin,  I  don't 
know  how  I  could  get  all  these  things.  My 
fortune  at  this  minute  is  precisely  one  dollar 
and  sixty-five  cents." 

"Well,  don't  think  about  it  any  more,  honey. 
I'm  sorry  I  put  the  notion  into  your  head,  if  it's 
not  practical,"  her  cousin  answered,  regretfully. 

"If  you're  worryin'  about  table-cloths,  you 
needn't,  honey,"  interposed  Martha,  going  to  a 
locked  door  in  the  rear  hall  and  trying  it.  "I 
know  fo'  shore  that  yo'  gran'ma  had  a  raft  o' 
linen  in  thisyere  closet,  and  it's  been  here,  to 
my  knowledge,  ever  since  she  died.  Mrs. 
Knight,  she  hadn't  any  right  to  take  it,  even  if 
she'd  know'd  of  it,  which  she  didn't.  I  helped 
yo'  gran'ma  store  a  lot  o'  stuff  away  here,  ever 
so  many  years  ago,  and  this  door  'ain't  never 
been  opened  since.  I  kin  get  an  ax  and  break 
the  lock,  if  you  say  so?" 

"Aren't  there  any  keys?"  asked  Alberta,  in 
great  excitement  at  this  suggestion  of  hidden 
treasures.  What  might  not  be  found  in  a  closet 
that  had  not  been  opened  in  a  quarter  of  a 
century!  Maybe  there  were  rats  and  mice, 
certainly  there  would  be  found  moth  and  decay, 
though,  and  all  the  things  spoiled.  But  she  en- 

227 


LIBERTY    HALL 

couraged  Martha  to  rummage  around  in  all  the 
kitchen  drawers  to  find  old  keys,  and  persever- 
ingly  applied  each  one  to  the  door  until  at 
length,  when  their  hopes  had  almost  expired, 
one  key  turned  in  the  lock  and  the  long-closed 
door  reluctantly  swung  back. 

A  big,  dark  space  was  disclosed.  As  their 
eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  dimness  they 
saw  shelves,  piled  with  packages  wrapped  in 
newspapers.  A  strong  smell  of  herbs  and 
camphor  filled  their  nostrils. 

"Oh,  oh!"  cried  Dotty,  dancing  around  in  ex- 
citement. Alberta,  scarcely  less  excited,  began 
to  take  down  packages  and  bring  them  out  to 
the  light. 

"Let's  carry  them  into  the  dining-room  and 
look  them  over.  Martha,  you  are  a  perfect 
jewel !  I  should  never  in  the  world  have  known 
of  this.  Oh,  what  a  perfectly  splendid  silk 
quilt.  See,  cousin — isn't  it  magnificent?"  And 
she  unrolled  a  wonderful  silken  thing,  made  of 
embroidered  squares  of  brocade  and  satin,  which 
Martha  told  her  were  remnants  of  the  family 
gowns  for  generations  back,  cherished  and  used 
in  this  way  by  her  grandmother. 

"Wonderful  sewing.  I  couldn't  do  such  nice 
work,  and  I  rather  pride  myself  on  skill  with  the 
needle,"  commented  Miss  Dollery. 

228 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Now  for  the  next  bundle,"  and  Alberta  felt 
like  Captain  Kidd  with  his  treasure  as  she 
eagerly  undid  the  enveloping  papers  and  found 
a  set  of  hand-initialed  linen  damask  towels,  fit 
for  the  guest-chamber  of  the  Beacham  house, 
she  thought,  proudly. 

''These  don't  go  into  any  girls'  rooms,"  she 
said,  emphatically,  reverently  refolding  them. 
The  next  thing  was  a  handsome  large  table- 
cloth with  napkins  to  match.  "We  can  never 
live  up  to  these,  so  they  will  just  have  to  go  back 
into  the  closet,  I  guess.  I  hope  the  next  thing 
will  be  something  we  can  use  every  day."  But 
there  came  pile  after  pile  of  fine  linen  before 
they  got  down  to  anything  of  the  kind. 

"I  reckon  all  thisyere  was  meant  fo'  yo* 
Aunt  Mamie's  settin'  out,"  said  Martha  in  a 
low  voice.  "She  broke  off  the  match  with 
Captain  Forrest — nobody  rightly  knew  why — 
and  went  into  a  convent  and  died  of  gallopin' 
consumption." 

"'S-h!"  uttered  Miss  Dollery,  quickly.  "I'm 
glad  Alberta  didn't  hear  that."  The  girl  had 
buried  her  head  in  the  closet  again,  and  now 
emerged  with  a  flushed  face,  carrying  a  small 
cedar  chest  so  heavy  that  she  had  trouble  to 
lift  it.  "Just  keep  that  to  yourself,  will  you, 
Martha?  We  don't  want  the  girls  to  feel  sad 

229 


LIBERTY    HALL 

over  anything  about  the  house.  Let  them  enjoy 
what  there  is." 

Martha  nodded  sagely,  then  threw  up  both 
hands  and  exclaimed  eagerly  at  sight  of  the 
chest : 

"Lawsy,  Miss  Dollery,  that's  something  I 
clean  done  forgot!  It's  full  of  old  family  silver! 
Miss  Alberta,  honey,  you's  got  a  real  bit  of 
property  now,  sure  'nough!  More  spoons  and 
soup-ladles  and  forks  than  you'll  ever  be  able 
to  use,  unless  you  has  a  big  Christmas  dinner- 
party!" 

They  laid  the  tarnished,  but  beautiful,  silver 
out  on  the  table  and  gloated  over  its  beauty. 
There  were  dozens  of  everything.  Even  Dotty 
recognized  that  here  was  wealth  and  plenty,  and 
that  so  far  as  the  luxuries  of  the  household  were 
concerned  they  were  amply  provided  for. 

"I  shall  be  afraid  now  to  stay  alone  in  the 
house!  Where  shall  we  put  all  these  things?" 

"What's  in  the  way  o'  you  puttin'  it  all  back 
in  this  closet?"  demanded  Martha.  "It's  been 
safe  in  thar  all  these  years.  But  you  best  keep 
out  what  you  want,  Miss  Alberta,  for  yo'  linen 
won't  improve  with  age,  like  wine." 

"Here's  something  more,  sister,"  said  Dotty, 
who  had  been  rummaging  while  the  elders 
talked.  She  came  running  in  now  with  a  big 

230 


LIBERTY    HALL 

package  done  up  with  extraordinary  care  in 
brown  paper,  around  layers  of  tissue-paper, 
which  being  taken  off  disclosed  something  that 
made  them  draw  delighted  breaths:  several 
rolls  of  shining  silk  of  different  hues.  There  was 
one  pattern  of  lavender  silk,  another  of  pearl, 
yet  another  of  dark  blue,  with  lace  to  trim  it. 
A  big  package  of  splendid  black  velvet  completed 
the  inventory,  and  Alberta  sat  down  on  the  near- 
est chair  and  exclaimed,  while  Miss  Dollery  de- 
lightedly ran  her  little  hands  over  the  velvet. 
Here,  she  said,  was  stuff  enough  to  make  two  cos- 
tumes, now  that  it  took  so  little  to  cut  a  dress. 

"Then  you  are  going  to  have  one  of  them, 
Cousin  Dollery.  We'll  divide  up  these  things 
after  a  while,  and  you  don't  know  how  glad  I 
am  to  have  something  to  give  away.  Martha, 
you  shall  have  a  dress  of  this  blue.  And  we'll 
make  Dotty  the  sweetest  little  frock  out  of  the 
pearl  silk,"  said  Alberta,  generously  forgetting 
herself  and  dividing  her  wealth  with  prodigal- 
ity. But  her  cousin  laid  prohibitive  hands  on 
the  pile,  and  announced  that  they  would  let 
the  things  be  just  as  they  were  for  the  present. 
Later  they  would  see  about  presents. 

It  had  been  growing  dark  while  they  rum- 
maged the  closet,  and  now  Martha  sought 
matches  and  lit  lamps.  Alberta  found  herself 
16  231 


LIBERTY    HALL 

summoned  back  to  the  practical  details  of  sup- 
per, and  suddenly  felt  the  weight  of  being  a  pro- 
vider for  the  family.  A  sort  of  fear  came  on 
her  at  the  thought.  She  had  not  the  least  idea 
of  what  was  in  the  larder,  nor  of  how  they  were 
to  manage  to  get  supplies  when  what  there  was 
should  be  exhausted.  But  Miss  Dollery  re- 
assured her. 

"Why,  honey,  do  you  think  your  friends  were 
going  to  leave  you  two  chicks  to  shift  for  your- 
selves, and  spring  all  this  thing  on  you  so  sud- 
denly? It's  all  been  planned  for  you,  two  or 
three  days  back.  When  your  aunt  explained  to 
the  judge  what  she  meant  to  do,  he  told  Mrs. 
Beacham.  She  and  I  forgathered  with  Mrs. 
Dezevolos,  and  we've  arranged  for  you  to  have 
a  beginning  for  your  housekeeping.  Come 
now,  and  look  at  your  pantry,"  and  the  little 
woman  glowingly  led  the  way,  Martha  carrying 
a  lamp.  The  girls  passed  through  the  kitchen 
where  a  big  bed  of  red  coals  glowed  in  the  range, 
making  things  cheerful,  to  the  rear  pantry,  usu- 
ally empty,  but  at  present  stocked  with  boxes 
and  jars  and  packages.  Martha  proudly  took 
the  cover  off  of  a  big  stone  crock  and  showed 
a  stock  of  her  excellent  ginger  cookies.  On  the 
shelf  was  a  cake  with  white  frosting.  Alberta 
hardly  knew  what  to  say  by  way  of  thanks. 

232 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"How  could  you  all  take  so  much  trouble  for 
us?  And  you've  done  so  much,  and  so  quickly! 
Why,  it's  another  house  entirely!  The  only 
thing  is — I  feel  sort  of  lost  in  it.  One  has  to 
walk  half  a  mile  to  this  pantry,  from  the  house. 
To  feel  that  this  whole  place  belongs  to  us,  and 
that  I  have  it  to  take  care  of,  worries  me !  Maybe 
I'll  get  used  to  it  in  time,  but  I  almost  wish  the 
house  was  little  and  cozy,  like  yours!"  Alberta 
sighed  as  she  glanced  about  the  vast  regions, 
wondering  what  in  the  world  she  could  do  with 
it  all.  Living  in  it  would  be  like  camping  out  in 
a  forest.  She  would  have  to  make  a  little  warm 
spot  in  the  midst  of  it  and  forget  all  the  rest. 

"Please  let's  all  have  supper  together,  any- 
way? I'll  set  the  table,  and  then  we  can  cook 
something." 

"That-ere's  my  job,  for  to-night,  anyway," 
announced  Martha,  with  promptness.  "Just 
you  ladies  make  yo'selves  easy,  and  we'll  have 
this  thing  fixed  up,  right  now.  Will  you  have 
cold  ham  for  supper  or  waffles?" 

"Waffles— waffles!"  pleaded  Dotty.  So  waf- 
fles it  was,  and  the  three  had  a  merry,  talkative 
supper,  the  firelight  dancing  on  the  usually 
dingy  hearth,  and  the  cat  rubbing  familiarly 
against  her  new  mistress's  gown  as  she  was 
lawlessly  fed  with  bits  from  the  table. 

233 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"I  don't  suppose  we'll  know  how  to  behave 
ourselves  at  all,  now  we  have  no  grown  person 
to  keep  us  in  order,"  remarked  Alberta.  "It's 
lucky  to-morrow's  Sunday  and  we  can  have  time 
to  plan  out  things  a  little  before  Monday  comes. 
After  all,  we  needn't  have  an  elaborate  kind  of 
housekeeping  for  Dotty  and  me.  If  we  have 
little  meals,  and  keep  our  rooms  neat,  that's 
about  the  worst  of  it." 

"Don't  get  into  the  habit  of  taking  pantry 
meals,"  smiled  her  cousin.  "Eating  any  sort  of 
stuff  when  you  are  hungry,  and  having  no  reg- 
ular meals,  plays  havoc  with  any  digestion. 
However  small  your  family  is,  you  ought  to  have 
everything  regular  and  in  order,  my  dear." 

"I  do  hope  you'll  help  me  out  with  advice, 
cousin.  This  has  come  on  me  so  suddenly  that 
I  scarcely  know  where  I'm  at.  I  expect  it  '11 
end  in  my  renting  the  rooms — taking  boarders 
for  company,"  giggled  Alberta,  as  this  thought 
came  over  her.  "But  it  really  will  be  as  much 
for  company  as  anything  else.  I  think  we  could 
never  stand  having  all  this  great  house  to  our- 
selves. Do  you  think  we  could  let  it — rent  it 
out?  But,  after  all,  I  don't  believe  I  want  to. 
No,  I'm  going  to  try  to  run  it,  in  some  way. 
Only,  I  shall  have  to  have  people  about — the 
girls — whether  I  have  any  boarders  or  not." 

234 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"That's  what  I  was  thinking.  If  you  don't 
have  Miss  Elkins's  pupils,  paying  you  something, 
you'll  have  company  all  the  time.  And  your 
finances  won't  stand  that,  honey.  Think  it  all 
over,  anyway.  Now,  Martha  is  going  to  stay 
in  the  house  to-night,  for  I  won't  leave  you  two 
by  yourselves.  And  to-morrow  I'm  going  to  be 
here  myself.  I'll  come  back  from  church  with 
you.  We'll  have  dinner  together,  you  see,  for 
I'm  going  to  eat  my  chicken  with  you  both. 
And  then,  there's  that  big  cake." 

"You  mustn't  try  to  share  all  your  own  food 
with  us — I'm  not  going  to  have  that,"  said 
Alberta,  spiritedly.  "Now  that  I'm  the  head  of 
my  own  family,  I'll  have  to  take  hold  of  things. 
Some  way — I  don't  know  how  yet — I'm  going 
to  make  some  money  to  keep  things  going- 
even  if  I  have  to  make  caramels  or  pies,  as  the 
girls  do  at  the  Working  Girls'  Club,  in 
Lexington." 

Miss  Dollery's  eyes  suddenly  lit  up  with  an 
idea.  "My  dear,  maybe  we've  struck  on  some- 
thing. It's  altogether  probable  that  one  of  the 
girls  would  be  glad  to  live  here  with  you  and 
help  you  run  this  house,  on  shares,  perhaps. 
She  would  give  you  her  experience  and  you 
would  give  her  a  home.  How  does  that  strike 
you?" 

235 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Splendid!"  answered  Alberta,  immensely  re- 
lieved at  the  suggestion  of  a  partner  in  what 
seemed  an  almost  overwhelming  task. 

She  could  not  settle  to  any  occupation  that 
evening,  and  after  Miss  Dollery  had  gone  home 
she  roamed  around,  enjoying  the  freedom  and 
peace,  the  bright  fires  and  abundant  light,  which 
made  the  old  house  almost  as  cheerful  as  the 
Beachams'.  But  draughts  crept  in  from  the 
dilapidated  rear  regions,  and  as  she  recollected 
all  the  space  inclosed  under  the  roof  she  began 
to  get  lonesome.  The  house  sadly  needed  money 
spent  on  repairs.  Its  foundations  were  good 
and  it  might  be  restored  to  its  old  condition  if 
she  had  the  means;  but  without  this  improve- 
ment it  was  barely  habitable,  at  best. 

"If  only  we  had  the  piano,"  sighed  Dotty, 
who  was  also  experiencing  the  queer  sensation 
of  something  gone  out  of  life  with  the  withdraw- 
ing of  a  person  to  whom  she  had  grown  accus- 
tomed. She  did  not  miss  her  aunt,  but  she  did 
miss  having  her  about.  She  hovered  near  her 
sister  for  protection,  and  Alberta  found  herself 
trying  to  keep  old  Martha  in  sight ! 

"Baby,  if  the  piano  hasn't  been  sold  you  shall 
have  it,"  said  Alberta,  suddenly.  "I'll  write  to 
Mrs.  Eames  right  away  and  ask  her  to  ship  it 
on  here.  I  don't  believe  the  things  are  going  to 

236 


LIBERTY    HALL 

bring  much,  anyway,  and  now  I'm  almost  sorry 
I  tried  to  have  them  sold."  And  she  ran  up  to 
get  paper  and  pens,  establishing  herself  in  the 
sitting-room  with  a  pleased  feeling  of  being  at 
home  there  now. 

But  before  she  had  begun  her  letter  the  front- 
door knocker  sounded  and  Martha  let  in  a 
crowd  of  young  people.  There  was  Hannah, 
Roy,  Gladys,  and  her  brother  John,  looking 
rather  anxious  until  he  saw  that  the  young 
house-mistress  had  the  air  of  being  happy  and 
at  ease  in  her  unwonted  position. 

"We  were  afraid  you  might  be  lonesome," 
laughed  Gladys.  "Say,  isn't  it  great — being 
your  own  boss  and  having  a  whole  house  to  do 
as  you  please  in?  My,  what  parties  you  can 
give  now!  Do  give  a  fancy-dress  dance  for 
Christmas  Eve, — a  harlequin  affair.  We'll  all 
help  you  out!" 

"Much  you  know  about  the  responsibility  of 
being  a  householder,"  interrupted  John.  "I 
reckon  Alberta  '11  find  her  hands  full  now  laying 
in  supplies  of  coal  and  provisions  and  inquiring 
about  taxes  and  repairs." 

"Stow  that  shop  talk,"  protested  Roy.  "All 
Alberta  has  got  to  do  is  to  have  a  trustee  ap- 
pointed to  look  after  her  property  for  her,  and 
then  she  can  give  her  mind  to  having  a  good 

237 


LIBERTY    HALL 

time."  And  he  looked  with  an  air  of  supe- 
riority at  the  others,  as  if  he  had  solved  all 
difficulties. 

"Don't  have  a  guardian!"  exclaimed  Gladys. 
"All  the  guardians  I  have  read  about  are  horrid 
and  run  off  with  property  and  shut  up  heiresses 
in  haunted  rooms,  and  such  things.  Just  insist 
on  being  your  own  guardian.  Say,  John,  can't 
a  girl  of  sixteen  or  seventeen  get  along  without 
any  guardian  in  Kentucky?" 

"She's  going  to  have  me  for  a  guardian,"  said 
John,  with  much  gravity,  and  that  provoked  a 
general  laugh,  in  the  midst  of  which  he  found 
opportunity  to  say  to  her,  very  low,  "If  you  get 
a  bad  one  you  can  change — to  me — you  know!" 

Alberta  felt  rather  confused  by  a  particular 
expression  in  his  gray  eyes.  It  was  pleasant, 
though,  to  feel  the  genuine  interest  and  good 
friendship  in  his  words,  and  in  the  kindly  con- 
cern of  the  rest  about  her.  There  was,  too,  a 
delightful  sense  of  liberty  and  gaiety  in  a  com- 
pany of  young  people  to  whom  she  was  playing 
hostess,  all  by  herself.  They  were  readily  en- 
tertained by  such  slight  efforts  as  she  made, 
and  unexpectedly  Gladys  happened  upon  a  new 
diversion.  Straying  to  a  corner  where  a  marble- 
topped  table  stood,  of  that  hideous  early- Vic- 
torian epoch  in  furniture,  she  idly  fingered  a 

238 


LIBERTY    HALL 

square,  dark  box  that  occupied  space  between 
some  old  books.  It  certainly  looked  like  a 
music-box,  such  as  she  recollected  seeing  in  the 
attic  at  home.  While  the  others  were  engaged 
in  some  lively  dispute,  she  investigated.  Pres- 
ently all  were  startled  by  hearing  the  strains  of 
"My  Old  Kentucky  Home"  wander  from  the 
corner  and  penetrate  through  the  parlor. 

Dotty  clapped  her  hands  and  ran  over  to 
Gladys.  "Isn't  that  lovely?"  And  she  was 
right,  for  the  music-box  was  an  excellent  one,  and 
its  tone  so  mellow  and  pure  that  any  one  could 
have  enjoyed  it. 

"If  you  aren't  the  limit,  Gladys,  making 
yourself  at  home!  How  do  you  know  that  box 
was  to  be  opened?"  inquired  her  brother,  rather 
fearing  that  she  was  too  informal. 

"She  was  perfectly  right — we  are  all  obliged 
to  her  for  setting  it  going,"  answered  Alberta, 
eagerly,  and  added,  on  an  inspiration,  "This  is 
Liberty  Hall,  everybody.  Have  as  good  a  time 
as  you  can,  in  your  own  way!  You  can't  hurt 
anything." 

"Glorious!  Let's  dance  to  the  music."  Roy 
caught  Dotty  armmd  the  waist  and  swung  on  to 
the  floor  with  her,  the  graceful  little  thing  yield- 
ing to  his  guidance  instinctively  and  doing  her- 
self credit  by  the  way  she  caught  his  step. 

239 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"We  oughtn't  to  dance  on  your  carpet/'  sug- 
gested Hannah,  after  they  had  raised  some  dust 
and  rumpled  up  a  thin  place  near  the  wall.  "If 
you're  going  to  let  us  act  crazy  here  you  must 
take  it  up." 

Alberta  thoughtfully  returned  that  she  would 
think  about  it.  She  resolved  to  find  out  whether 
the  floor  was  good,  and  if  so  to  accept  that 
suggestion,  for  if  she  had  girls  there  with  her  it 
would  be  necessary  to  use  the  room  a  good  deal. 
After  they  had  enjoyed  themselves  for  some 
time  she  felt  that  she  must  offer  refreshments. 
There  was  the  cake!  Slipping  out,  she  had  a 
confab  with  Martha,  who  fell  in  with  her  plans, 
and  in  a  little  while  appeared  among  them  laden 
with  a  tray  containing  glasses,  plates,  and  the 
cake,  cut  in  slices,  in  a  beautiful  silver  basket 
which  Alberta  recognized  as  having  been  in  the 
locked  closet. 

"We  must  do  the  family  credit,  miss," 
Martha  whispered,  with  dignity,  and  the  young 
mistress  nodded  her  assent,  feeling  glad  that 
she  had  a  major-domo  so  adroit  and  ready- 
witted.  Lemonade  then  came  in,  and  the  feast 
seemed  very  much  to  the  taste  of  the  guests. 

"Naughty  of  you  to  give  us  a  surprise  party, 
this  way,"  said  Hannah,  "but  I'm  afraid  you 
have  encouraged  us  all  to  do  it  again.  We've 

240 


LIBERTY    HALL 

had  a  lovely  time,  honey.  Now  don't  you  get 
to  being  lonesome  when  we're  gone  off.  If  you 
get  afraid  over  here,  telephone —  Oh,  I  forgot, 
you  don't  have  one.  Say,  Roy,  Alberta  must 
have  a  telephone  right  away!  You  know  some- 
body in  Lexington  belonging  to  the  Bell  Com- 
pany. Can't  you  see  to  their  coming  over  and 
attending  to  it?  People  are  so  slow!" 

"Hold  on,  Hannah,"  interposed  John,  who 
occasionally  took  advantage  of  his  seniority  to 
check  indiscretion  in  the  others.  "How  do  you 
know  whether  Alberta  wants  a  telephone  put  in? 
You  mustn't  let  us  run  you,  you  know.  Have 
a  will  of  your  own  and  put  down  impertinence 
if  we  go  it  too  strong." 

"Of  course  I  want  a  telephone!  But  whether 
I  can  have  it  or  not,  I  don't  yet  know,"  and 
Alberta  felt  that  this  means  of  ready  com- 
munication with  the  outside  world  was  an 
indispensable  need. 

Both  Roy  and  John  privately  resolved  that 
she  should  have  her  telephone.  A  glance  of 
understanding  was  exchanged  between  them. 

"Oh,  it  doesn't  cost  much,"  said  Roy,  easily. 
"The  fellow  I  know  is  glad  to  do  whatever  I 
want  reasonably.  And  he'll  wait  any  length  of 
time.  A  year,  if  you  like!" 

Alberta  shook  her  head,  feeling  suddenly 
241 


LIBERTY    HALL 

much  more  mature  and  experienced  than  these 
irresponsible  young  beings  who  all  had  parents 
to  foot  their  bills.  John,  though,  was  an  excep- 
tion. She  knew  that  he  paid  his  own  way,  al- 
though his  father  was  said  to  be  accumulating 
wealth  day  by  day.  His  eyes  had  a  particularly 
sympathetic  gleam  in  them  as  he  shook  her 
hand  at  the  door,  and  the  last  thing  he  said  was 
that  he  had  given  the  watchman — the  single 
functionary  who  played  night-guardian  over 
Elmville — special  cautions  about  keeping  an  eye 
on  her  house.  She  mustn't  feel  that  she  wasn't 
being  cared  for.  Everybody  in  the  town  was 
looking  after  her  now. 

"A  ward  of  the  town,"  laughed  the  girl.  But 
it  was  not  distasteful  to  her  to  feel  herself  sur- 
rounded with  this  sort  of  kindly  surveillance, 
and  especially  from  John.  She  would  not  have 
felt  so  secure  if  she  had  not  had  the  knowledge 
that  he  was  trying  to  look  after  the  house.  He 
had  filled  her  with  confidence  in  his  ability  to 
do  what  he  attempted.  "Lucky  Gladys — to 
have  a  brother  like  that,"  she  thought  more 
than  once. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

MISS  DOLLERY  laughed  when  Alberta  ex- 
plained about  the  cake.  She  had  a  chance 
to  repeat  the  good-humored  laughter  several 
times  within  the  next  week,  for  Alberta  found 
that  getting  back  her  old-time  liberty  was  a 
genuine  dissipation.  She  could  not  help  in- 
viting the  girls  to  come  home  with  her  to  have 
afternoon  tea,  and  she  loved  to  use  the  quaint 
little  silver  teapot  and  cream- jug  that  Martha, 
indulging  her  to  the  utmost,  always  had  ready 
in  the  sitting-room.  It  soon  occurred  to  Al- 
berta that  she  was  taking  up  most  of  the  old 
woman's  time  without  paying  her  for  it,  but 
she  found  Martha  adroit  in  excuses  for  ser- 
vice. 

"Didn't  my  father  and  mother  belong  to  yo' 
own  gran'ma,  honey,  an'  'ain't  old  Martha 
saved  up  a  whole  heap  o'  dollars  out  o'  workin' 
fo'  the  family?  Besides,  I  'ain't  got  anybody 
comin'  after  me,  an'  what  I  got  is  my  own. 
Jest  you  hush  up,  honey,  an'  let  old  Marthy 

243 


LIBERTY    HALL 

have  her  way!  All  I  does,  anyway,  is  to  run 
in  betweenwhiles." 

"You're  an  old  angel!  As  soon  as  I  get  some 
cash  I'm  going  to  settle  with  you." 

"Love's  the  best  thing  to  work  for,  honey," 
answered  old  Martha,  with  a  wistful  dimming  of 
her  eyes.  "  How  'bout  that  plan  of  having  some 
friends  here  to  keep  comp'ny  with  you?  Has 
you  spoken  to  Miss  Elkins  yet?" 

Alberta  shook  her  head,  and,  thus  reminded, 
got  up  her  courage  to  renew  the  talk  with  Miss 
Dollery  that  day.  Then  Miss  Dollery  had  a 
long  conversation  with  Miss  Elkins,  the  result 
of  which  was  a  private  talk  between  the  prin- 
cipal and  the  young  householder,  on  the  follow- 
ing Friday.  Miss  Elkins  was  favorably  inclined 
to  the  plan,  for  she  was  at  her  wits'  end  to  find 
room  for  her  new  pupils;  but  she  could  not 
quite  reconcile  herself  to  placing  them  in  a  home 
ruled  over  by  such  a  youthful  mistress.  Miss 
Dollery  had  announced  that  she  would  chap- 
eron her  young  cousin  and  keep  an  eye  on  the 
girls,  but  that  was  not  enough.  There  was  a 
great  deal  of  discussion  and  much  anxious  de- 
liberation of  ways  and  means  before  the  con- 
scientious principal  made  up  her  mind  that  no 
great  harm  could  come  from  allowing  a  few  of 
the  steady,  older  girls  to  move  from  the  over- 

244 


LIBERTY    HALL 

crowded  building  to  the  empty  house  that  was 
yearning  for  occupants. 

She  might  have  continued  her  wavering  still 
longer  if  an  accident  had  not  taken  the  matter 
out  of  her  hands.  The  November  rains  had  set 
in,  and  at  this  unpropitious  time  it  entered  into 
the  head  of  some  urchin  to  stop  up  the  pipes  of 
the  school-building  by  stuffing  a  baseball  into 
one  of  them.  So,  one  morning  three  girls  were 
roused  from  their  innocent  slumbers  at  five 
o'clock  by  a  strange  drip,  drip,  drip  on  their 
beds !  By  the  time  they  had  their  lamps  lit  and 
their  wrappers  on  water  was  pouring  through 
an  enormous  leak;  the  pipe  which  had  been 
stopped  up  had  burst,  and  a  deluge  was  the 
result. 

There  was  much  scurrying  to  and  fro,  every- 
one was  aroused,  and  many  impractical  sug- 
gestions were  offered,  while  the  girls  wept  over 
their  ruined  clothes  in  the  closet  and  appealed 
to  the  principal  to  give  them  another  room. 

Miss  Elkins  telephoned  to  the  Beacham  house 
to  beg  that  a  message  be  sent  over  to  Alberta 
asking  her  to  receive  the  refugees,  and  the  stout 
butler  was  almost  thrown  into  apoplexy  by  the 
necessity  of  hurrying  into  his  clothing  and 
rushing  out  to  the  Lewis  house.  Alberta  came 
down-stairs,  shivering.  As  soon  as  she  under- 

245 


LIBERTY    HALL 

stood  the  situation  she  started  the  sitting-room 
fire,  shook  up  the  kitchen  range,  and  put  on  a 
kettle  of  water  for  coffee.  By  the  time  the  girls 
arrived,  escorted  by  a  dignified  but  startled 
teacher,  an  early  breakfast  of  coffee  and 
warmed-up  biscuits  was  waiting  for  them,  with 
a  most  hospitable  welcome  from  their  school- 
mate. 

"You  must  excuse  my  wrapper,"  she  giggled. 
"I  hadn't  time  to  dress." 

1 '  Gracious !  don't  mention  it , "  said  one.  ' '  And 
don't  look  at  us.  We  had  to  borrow  things,  and 
nothing  fits.  I've  got  on  Ida  Smith's  shoes 
and  Witch  Hazleton  has  on  a  dress  of  Miss 
Hall's."" 

"Delicious  coffee!"  exclaimed  Witch  Hazle- 
ton. She  was  the  last  girl  Miss  Elkins  had  in- 
tended to  let  out  of  her  sight,  but  now,  by  this 
unlucky  chance,  she  became  a  member  of  the 
informal  household.  "Oh,  what  a  lark!  Say, 
fellow-citizens  in  Liberty  Hall — that's  what  you 
call  it,  isn't  it,  Al? — I,  for  one,  am  reconciled  to 
the  loss  of  my  duds  for  the  sake  of  getting  into 
this  homey  atmosphere!  We  call  the  Elkins 
shebang  'near-college,'  Alberta,  because  Miss 
Elkins  tries  to  run  it  on  the  honor  principle. 
We  hardly  dare  be  natural  for  fear  we  may  do 
something  against  our  consciences.  Mine  has 

246 


'GRACIOUS!     DON'T  LOOK   AT   us.    WE   HAD  TO   BORROW   THINGS, 

AND   NOTHING   FITS" 


LIBERTY    HALL 

become  so  strained  with  holding  out  that  I'm 
going  to  give  it  a  rest.  I  hope  we  can  stay 
here." 

"If  you  want  to  stay  here  you'll  have  to 
pledge  your  honor  to  obey  the  rules,  as  much  as 
if  you  were  at  the  other  house,"  said  Alberta, 
feeling  very  old  and  wise. 

"Oh,  my!  Please,  'm,  may  I  just  breathe?" 
pleaded  Witch,  rolling  her  mischievous  eyes 
and  joining  her  hands  in  a  supplication  that 
made  the  rest  burst  out  laughing.  They  always 
laughed  at  Witch,  who  was  the  recognized  ring- 
leader of  mischief  at  the  Academy.  She  cast 
an  approving  eye  around  the  sitting-room,  which 
was  improving  daily,  as  many  old  bits  of  fur- 
niture were  brought  down  and  placed  where  they 
looked  best.  "Isn't  it  all  heavenly?  Say, 
Alberta,  you'll  let  us  roast  chestnuts — after 
we've  got  our  lessons  in  the  evenings,  won't 
you?  I'm  sure  there's  no  harm  in  that.  The 
only  trouble  is  we'll  have  all  the  rest  of  the  girls 
wanting  to  come  here,  too.  How  many  can  you 
take  in?" 

"Wait  till  you  see  the  bedrooms.  Maybe 
you  won't  like  it  so  well,"  said  Alberta,  throwing 
another  log  on  the  fire,  and  reflecting  that  this 
addition  to  her  family,  without  notice  or  prep- 
aration, put  her  in  a  hole.  She  had  hoped 
17  247 


LIBERTY    HALL 

to  have  everything  in  order  before  strangers 
came. 

The  girls  pooh-poohed  the  suggestion.  They 
knew  nothing  about  details  of  household  man- 
agement, and  to  them  the  hope  of  a  relaxed 
discipline  appealed  more  than  mere  comfort. 
After  the  coffee  had  been  drunk  they  all  sat 
about  cozily,  chatting  and  planning  many  a 
frolic  which  Alberta  knew  could  never  material- 
ize. But  she  merely  smiled  and  kept  silence, 
wishing  that  time  would  pass  more  quickly  and 
bring  daylight  and  Martha  to  the  rescue. 

The  first  person  who  appeared  on  the  scene 
was  Fred  Beacham,  eager  and  excited  at  the 
news  he  had  learned  from  the  Beacham  ser- 
vants, and  the  bearer  of  a  message  from  his 
mother  that  she  would  be  over  immediately 
after  breakfast  to  help  out  in  the  emergency  that 
had  arisen. 

"Bah!"  cried  Witch.  "We  can  get  along  all 
right  without  grown-ups,  can't  we,  girls?" 

Nevertheless,  she  had  to  subside  and  attend 
the  meeting  held  in  the  parlor  before  many  hours 
had  passed.  Worried  Miss  Elkins  was  inclined 
to  exchange  her  for  another  girl,  and  to  take  her 
back  to  the  Academy,  but  Witch  made  so  many 
vows  of  docility  and  such  a  loud  protest  about 
being  returned  to  the  leaky  room  in  the  building 

248 


LIBERTY    HALL 

that  her  right  to  be  considered  first  was  respected 
and  permission  was  given  her  to  become  one  of 
the  three  boarding  pupils  now  quartered  at  the 
Lewis  house. 

"Of  course,  Miss  Rawlings  will  come  and  go 
as  often  as  possible  to  keep  an  eye  on  matters," 
stipulated  Miss  Elkins.  "Not  that  I  doubt 
your  prudence,  my  dear,"  kindly  to  Alberta — 
"but  in  a  way,  of  course,  your  home  must  be 
considered  a  branch  of  the  Academy  as  long  as 
these  girls  are  in  it." 

"  Yes,"  returned  Alberta,  "I  suppose  so."  But 
the  new  designation  existed,  she  knew,  more  in 
the  mind  of  Miss  Elkins  than  in  that  of  any  one 
else.  To  the  girls  and  to  all  her  circle  of  ac- 
quaintances the  Lewis  house  was  now  "Liberty 
Hall."  One  of  the  first  things  that  had  hap- 
pened was  the  turning  of  the  big  room  opposite 
the  parlor,  empty  and  forlorn  for  years,  into  a 
dancing-room.  John  and  Roy  and  Tom  Mallony 
had  arrived  to  sit  in  congress  on  the  situation, 
and  they  announced  that  if  Alberta  would  give 
them  leave  they  would  make  it  "a  dandy  place 
to  have  fun  in."  A  carpenter  was  sent  over  by 
John  to  scrape  the  floor  and  oil  it;  then  the 
broken  fireplace  was  mended  and  the  windows 
were  put  in  order.  The  next  surprise  was  the 
appearance  of  a  nice  Victrola,  one  that  Roy 

249 


LIBERTY    HALL 

vowed  had  been  in  their  attic,  and  the  day  be- 
fore the  girls  arrived  the  "ball-room"  had  been 
pronounced  ready  for  a  dance. 

Resolved  to  have  everything  aboveboard, 
Alberta  frankly  explained  to  Miss  Elkins  that 
the  room  was  to  be  devoted  to  amusement,  and 
asked  permission  to  give  a  dance  there  on 
Friday  nights. 

"We  will  have  Miss  Dollery  to  chaperon  us, 
and  we  promise  on  our  honor  to  keep  early 
hours.  There  won't  be  any  refreshments  except 
lemonade  and  crackers,  and  it's  just  a  way  of 
getting  some  quiet  fun.  You  won't  object, 
will  you?" 

' '  Ahem !  I  don't  know.  It's  a  pity  you  didn't 
consult  me,  my  dear,  before  having  this  big  room 
destroyed.  What  an  excellent  library  it  would 
have  made!"  said  Miss  Elkins.  But  her  keen 
eyes  had  a  little  twinkle  in  them  which  Alberta 
read  rightly.  She  knew  then  that  if  there  were 
no  actual  infringements  of  rules  she  could  let 
her  youthful  guests  enjoy  themselves  with  more 
freedom  than  the  principal  cared  to  put  in  dis- 
tinct terms.  In  fact,  if  lessons  were  prepared 
and  the  girls  were  kept  in  good  health,  the 
lenient  principal  felt  that  her  chief  duty  was 
done.  She  knew  that,  as  regards  moral  char- 
acter, she  would  have  to  give  them  back 

250 


LIBERTY    HALL 

again  to  their  parents  as  they  came  to  her.  She 
never  attempted  the  miracle  of  reforming  spoiled 
girls. 

But  she  impressed  upon  Alberta  such  a  sense 
of  her  responsibilities  that  the  girl,  in  dismay, 
hurried  over  to  Miss  Dollery  to  implore  her  to 
engage  a  model  young  woman  from  the  Working 
Girls'  Club.  Worked  upon  by  the  little  lady, 
Mrs.  Dezevolos  sent  for  her  car  and  took 
Alberta  to  Lexington,  where  she  interviewed 
half  a  dozen  young  women  before  finding  the 
one  she  believed  would  be  the  ideal  companion 
and  helper.  From  the  minute  she  saw  Sarah 
Cummings  she  knew  that  she  had  found  her 
ideal.  Sarah  was  a  young  woman  in  whose  face 
humor  and  sense  were  equally  balanced.  She 
was  about  twenty,  but  seemed  younger,  because 
her  voice  was  like  that  of  a  little  child,  almost 
appealing  and  innocent  in  its  inflections.  She 
had  a  great  deal  of  fresh,  wholesome  color  in 
her  cheeks,  and  a  good,  broad  nose  that  gave  a 
friendly  character  to  a  thoughtful  countenance. 
Her  manner  was  shy  but  self-respecting.  She 
and  Alberta  soon  understood  each  other,  and 
made  a  bargain  that  was  much  more  favorable 
to  our  heroine  than  she  had  dared  to  hope  for. 

"You  see,  you  are  furnishing  the  house  and 
the  boarders,  so  if  I  put  in  a  little  cash  it  is  only 

251 


LIBERTY    HALL 

fair,"  smiled  the  honest  new  partner.  "I  have 
three  hundred  dollars  in  the  bank  which  I  can 
spare  for  such  an  investment,  and  you  need 
cash.  If  we  spend  this  for  necessities,  such  as 
fuel  and  food,  it  will  more  than  come  back  in 
the  long  run.  We'll  make  a  careful  estimate  and 
try  to  see  our  way  clear.  One  thing  I  promise 
you — we'll  make  ends  meet.  I  should  die  of 
misery  if  we  didn't!" 

"  That's  a  bargain,"  assented  Alberta,  eagerly. 
"However  economically  we  have  to  get  along, 
we  won't  spend  more  than  our  income.  I  think 
that  what  Miss  Elkins  is  going  to  allow  for  the 
girls'  rooms  and  board  will  be  enough  for  our 
expenses — even  Martha's  wages.  And  we'll 
have  one  or  two  more  girls,  if  we  can  make 
these  happy." 

There  was  no  doubt  about  making  the  girls 
happy!  After  a  few  days  of  what  Alberta  pri- 
vately thought  a  rather  scrambling  existence, 
with  several  picnic  lunches  when  the  supplies 
ran  low  in  the  larder,  her  three  boarders  de- 
clared they  hadn't  had  so  much  fun  since  their 
babyhood,  and  that  the  informal  times  in  the 
evenings,  when  the  lamps  were  lit  and  the  fire 
coaxed  up  to  a  magnificent  blaze,  were  worth 
all  the  secret  spreads  and  scrapes  they  had  in- 
dulged in  at  the  Academy.  Miss  Elkins  at  first 

252 


LIBERTY   HALL 

popped  in  unexpectedly,  but  finding  them  all 
innocently  engaged  in  lessons  or  in  reading  and 
games  beside  the  fire,  she  smiled  benignly  and 
complimented  the  young  house-mistress  on  her 
home  atmosphere.    In  a  few  days  she  told  Al- 
berta that  she  might  expect  two  more  girls  the 
following  week — sisters,  from  Philadelphia. 
"  Is  your  bathroom  nearly  finished?"  she  asked. 
Alberta  took  her  up-stairs  and  exhibited  with 
pride  the  up-to-date  arrangements  of  the  room. 
' '  Admirable ! ' '  said  the  principal.    ' '  You  must 
have  been  going  to  considerable  expense,  my 
dear.    It's  better  than  anything  I  have." 

"Is  it  very  expensive?"  asked  Alberta, 
alarmed.  John  had  assured  her  that  she  needn't 
worry  over  the  bill.  The  next  time  she  saw  him 
she  rushed  at  the  subject. 

"About  the  bathroom,"  said  Alberta,  with 
a  very  matter-of-fact  composure;  "you  know 
I  mustn't  run  into  extravagance!  Now  that 
I'm  a  business  woman,  I  must  do  things  in  a 
business-like  way,"  and  she  gave  a  little  laugh 
that  John  privately  thought  adorable. 

"You  a  business  woman!  You  ought  to  have 
somebody  taking  care  of  you.  I  wonder  what 
Gladys  and  Hannah  would  do  if  they  were  left 
with  all  the  responsibility  that  has  fallen  on 
your  shoulders!" 

253 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Gladys  is  different,  but  don't  you  make  mis- 
takes about  her.  If  she  were  left  to  herself  and 
had  nobody  to  help  her,  I  believe  she  would 
make  a  good  newspaper  woman." 

John  made  a  grimace,  then  looked  thought- 
ful. "Well,"  he  remarked,  judicially,  "I  don't 
see  that  anybody  has  a  right  to  interfere  with 
a  woman's  doing  whatever  she  has  a  taste  for. 
If  she  likes  to  make  a  home,  all  right.  If  she 
doesn't,  I  don't  see  what  use  it  is  to  drive  her 
to  it.  But  I'm  glad  you  have  a  taste  for  home- 
making,  Alberta,"  and  the  big  fellow  could  not 
help  looking  a  little  sentimental  as  he  gazed 
admiringly  at  Alberta's  smart  white  apron, 
which  she  had  put  on  to  give  herself  a  matronly 
air. 

"How  much  is  this  bathroom  really  going  to 
cost  me,  John?" 

He  whistled  a  bit,  then  pretended  to  study 
some  figures  in  his  note-book.  "I'll  have  to 
talk  to  uncle,"  he  said,  abruptly.  "But  I 
should  think  it  wouldn't  cost  you  much  to  run 
your  table,  from  the  way  you  girls  live  on  candy. 
Gladys  told  me  that  Tom  Mallony  about  keeps 
you  supplied  with  sweets." 

Alberta  looked  down  with  a  little  smile.  She 
had  a  soft  spot  for  the  harum-scarum  Tom,  and 
had,  somehow,  begun  to  consider  it  her  duty 

254 


LIBERTY    HALL 

to  exert  a  good  influence  over  him,  keeping  him 
up  to  his  studies  and  being  a  good,  judicious 
friend.  John  gloomily  noted  that  she  no  longer 
looked  so  "fetching." 

"Have  a  piece?"  she  asked,  with  a  sudden 
spice  of  mischief,  and  she  daintily  picked  out 
from  the  little  pocket  a  couple  of  rose-colored 
bonbons  and  offered  them  to  him  on  the  palm 
of  her  hand. 

"No,  thank  you.  Roast  beef  is  more  to  my 
taste  than  kickshaws,"  and  he  watched  her  eat 
the  roses  with  envy  of  Tom's  impudence  in 
sending  them.  Although  he  had  come  ener- 
getically to  the  fore  in  helping  the  young  house- 
keeper with  practical  suggestions  and  manual 
aid,  he  had  not  yet  sufficiently  mastered  his  dif- 
fidence to  send  her  a  "housewarming  gift."  He 
resolved  that  Christmas  should  give  her  a  sur- 
prise! But  Alberta  did  not  find  out  what  her 
repairs  were  costing  her,  that  day. 

The  piano  came.  Set  up  in  the  parlor  and 
tuned,  it  gave  Dotty  so  much  happiness  that 
Alberta  wondered  how  she  could  have  deprived 
the  child  of  it  even  temporarily.  It  proved, 
also,  to  be  a  source  of  income,  for  Miss  Elkins 
was  glad  to  have  the  girls  practise  on  it,  and 
paid  the  usual  rate  for  the  use  of  the  piano. 
They  had  plenty  of  informal  dancing  now,  in 

255 


LIBERTY    HALL 

the  evenings,  and  a  new  feature  was  introduced 
by  a  teacher  who  had  just  come  from  the  North 
—musical  calisthenics  for  the  Senior  class.  The 
lessons  took  place  at  Alberta's  house,  and  with 
the  additions  introduced  from  day  to  day  she 
and  her  partner  began  to  feel  like  professors 
themselves.  Alberta  had  so  much  sympathy 
with  the  girls'  side  of  every  question,  however, 
that  they  felt  sure  the  house  would  never  lose 
its  title  of  Liberty  Hall.  There  was  an  individ- 
uality about  life  over  here  which  made  it  alto- 
gether delightful.  The  sole  rules  were  punc- 
tuality at  table  and  "no  secret  pranks."  If 
anybody  wanted  to  have  a  "fling"  she  had 
it,  and  took  the  consequences,  whatever  they 
might  be  in  the  judgment  of  Miss  Elkins,  to 
whom  all  real  issues  were  subjected. 

There  were  candy-pulls  in  the  big  kitchen,  on 
off  nights,  and  there  was  no  keeping  the  boys 
away  from  them,  even  if  any  rule  had  existed 
against  admitting  them.  Fortunately,  it  had 
not  entered  the  principal's  thoughts  to  make 
such  a  rule.  She  had  so  much  on  her  mind,  with 
the  Christmas  play  rehearsing  and  repairs  on 
the  Academy  building  to  see  to,  that  she  grate- 
fully turned  over  the  Lewis  branch  to  Miss 
Dollery's  kind  and  liberal  supervision. 

"The  Young  Folks'  nose  is  out  of  joint  now, 
256 


LIBERTY   HALL 

since  Alberta  has  established  her  old  Liberty 
Hall,"  complained  Hannah,  with  mock  wrath. 
In  truth,  she  enjoyed  as  much  as  anybody  the 
informality  and  democracy  of  the  little  gather- 
ings. The  barrier  that  had  divided  the  Seniors 
from  the  Sophomores  and  Juniors,  and  particu- 
larly those  invisible  but  strictly  observed  fences 
that  had  been  wont  to  part  "sets,"  seemed  to 
have  been  demolished.  The  Beachams  and  the 
Carruthers  met  together  in  the  great  Lewis 
parlor;  Sarah  Cummings,  a  "Yankee"  from 
Rhode  Island,  making  her  unaided  way  through 
life  by  the  use  of  such  faculties  as  nature  had 
provided  her  with,  became  popular  with  all 
these  rather  snobbish  young  persons;  and  many 
a  narrow  idea  and  sprouting  bit  of  arrogance  was 
nipped  in  the  bud,  in  the  pleasant  freemasonry 
of  an  intercourse  that  was  thoroughly  up-to-date, 
yet  tinged  with  the  old  "hominess"  of  the  South. 
One  small  but  by  no  means  insignificant  per- 
son was  in  the  seventh  heaven  of  bliss.  This 
was  Clarissa  Smith.  Alberta  had  fulfilled  her 
intention  of  having  Martha  give  that  neglected 
infant  the  first — and,  Martha  privately  resolved 
— the  last  hard  scrubbing  of  her  life,  and  then 
clothing  her  in  a  nice,  outgrown  suit  of  Dotty's. 
Then  she  was  taken  into  training  as  a  waitress, 
and  displayed  unsuspected  talents.  Hearing  in- 

257 


LIBERTY    HALL 

telligent  conversation  and  being  treated  gently 
made  an  immense  difference  in  her  character, 
and  as  she  realized  that  she  owed  all  the  pleasure 
of  her  changed  life  to  Dotty  she  attached  herself 
to  the  white  child  with  passionate  devotion. 

Her  much-prized  privilege  was  that  of  accom- 
panying Dotty  to  Mrs.  Dezevolos'  house,  three 
times  a  week,  to  take  music  lessons.  The  rather 
indolent  and  artistic  lady,  who  loved  music,  but 
not  the  drudgery  of  teaching  it,  had  engaged  an 
experienced  German  professor  from  Lexington 
to  take  over  the  office  she  had  begun.  It  was  a 
secret  between  the  three,  because  she  divined 
that  Alberta  might  have  hesitated  to  accept  such 
a  favor.  But  Dotty,  who  had  never  had  a  secret 
from  her  sister  in  her  life,  begged  so  hard  that 
she  might  tell  this  one,  that  Mrs.  Dezevolos  was 
obliged  to  confess"  her  little  plot.  At  first  the 
proud  girl  made  many  objections,  and  tried  to 
refuse  the  favor;  but  when  Mrs.  Dezevolos  re- 
peated the  observations  of  the  professor,  who 
had  been  charmed  with  Dotty's  wonderful  ear 
and  sympathetic  touch,  the  sister  yielded.  She 
could  not  stand  in  the  way  of  such  an  education 
for  Dotty. 

A  check  had  come  from  the  West,  but  it  was 
not  so  large  as  Alberta  had  hoped  it  would  be. 
The  furniture  had  been  sold,  but  not  for  high 

258 


LIBERTY   HALL 

prices.  Still,  it  was  a  help.  Alberta  had  the 
satisfaction  of  making  Martha  a  handsome 
present,  and  also  of  having,  new  silk  gowns  for 
the  family,  including  Cousin  Dollery,  from  the 
material  discovered  in  the  old  closet. 

"It  is  remarkable  that  it  has  stood  the  wear 
of  time  so  well,"  observed  Miss  Dollery,  re- 
luctantly consenting  to  having  the  silk  cut  into 
by  the  dressmaker.  "But  I  wish  we  could  save 
all  this  for  your  trousseau,  my  dear." 

Alberta  laughed  at  the  idea.  "I'm  free,  white, 
and  sweet  sixteen,"  she  chanted,  "and  I  mean 
to  stay  so." 

"You  won't  stay  sixteen,  chicken!  However, 
make  your  hay  while  the  sun  shines.  Life  will 
get  serious  enough  for  you,  after  a  while." 

"Well,  it's  rather  serious  this  minute,  in  one 
respect,"  admitted  the  girl.  "Something  has 
happened.  Judge  Beacham  had  a  regularly  for- 
mal interview  with  me,  the  other  day;  he 
frightened  me  half  to  death  at  first!  There  are 
some  old  law  formulas  and  tiresome  business 
that  I  don't  in  the  least  understand,  about  the 
property,  and  he  has  been  appointed  trustee, 
because  I  begged  him  to  arrange  things  that 
way.  Well,  it  seems  that  besides  the  house  and 
all  the  grounds  the  everlasting  meadow  lot  is  a 
problem.  Nobody  knows  who  lent  aunt  money 

259 


LIBERTY    HALL 

on  it!  Until  we  find  that  out  the  lot  can't  be 
sold — and  we  do  need  that  money.  Who  in  the 
world  do  you  suppose  helped  aunt?  There  isn't 
a  scrap  of  paper  about  it  anywhere  and  aunt 
has  disappeared  off  the  face  of  the  earth!" 

Miss  Dollery's  face  had  turned  scarlet  and 
she  bent  it  over  her  embroidery,  but  her  pink 
ear  betrayed  her,  and  Alberta  wonderingly  felt 
a  swift  suspicion  enter  her  mind,  which  made  her 
throw  her  arms  about  the  little  woman's  neck 
and  cry  out: 

"It  was  you!" 

"I  didn't  dream  of  its  making  any  complica- 
tions," murmured  Miss  Dollery.  "You  see, 
dearie,  long  ago  your  aunt  and  I  were  pretty 
good  friends,  and  when  she  asked  me  to  do  her 
this  favor,  as  I  had  the  money  laid  by,  I  gave 
it  to  her.  Then  she  acted  rather  unpleasant 
about  it.  I  don't  want  to  say  anything  against 
a  person  who  has  tried  to  redeem  her  fault,  but 
I  can't  help  thinking  it  wasn't  doing  as  you 
would  be  done  by — what  she  did.  We'll  not 
talk  about  it.  Only,  it  began  to  seem  as  if  my 
money  were  lost  for  good  and  all,  so  I  tried  to 
put  it  all  out  of  my  mind  and  manage  without 
it.  Now  don't  you  worry,  dear,"  she  added, 
distressed  at  Alberta's  shocked  expression. 

1  'And  you've  been  defrauded  all  this  time! 
260 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Never  mind,  dear  Cousin  Dollery,  we're  going 
to  make  it  up  to  you.  I'm  going  to  tell  the 
judge  all  about  it,  right  away,  and  as  soon  as 
the  old  lot  is  sold — some  man  wants  it  now — 
you  shall  have  your  money  back  again,  with  the 
proper  interest,  too!"  And  Alberta  sat  down 
and  cried  heartily,  partly  from  mortification  at 
what  had  been  done  by  her  aunt  and  partly 
with  relief  that  the  whole  mystery  was  at  last 
cleared  up  and  a  prospect  in  sight  of  doing 
tardy  justice  to  the  generous,  self-denying 
little  woman. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

IT  was  the  tenth  of  December.  What  changes 
had  taken  place  since  Alberta  and  Dotty  had 
descended  forlornly  from  the  old  hack  and 
walked  up  the  dreary  passageway  to  the  dis- 
orderly sitting-room  ruled  over  by  Mrs.  Knight ! 

"Aren't  you  happy,  Allie?"  Dotty  asked,  see- 
ing her  sister  smile  to  herself  as  she  was  brush- 
ing her  hair. 

4 'Ever  so  happy,"  Alberta  returned,  energeti- 
cally. It  seemed,  indeed,  that  the  worst  of  her 
troubles  were  over.  The  meadow  lot  had  been 
sold  for  a  good  price  and  all  her  debts  were  paid. 
A  nice  sum  was  lodged  in  the  bank  to  draw  on 
for  emergencies  and  the  rest  was  invested  in 
railroad  securities,  with  the  result  that  a  regular, 
if  small,  income  was  assured.  Then,  the  ex- 
cellent management  of  Sarah  Cummings  kept 
expenses  within  their  means.  The  five  girls  from 
the  Academy  paid  enough  to  run  the  modest 
establishment  of  nine  persons.  Martha  kept 
the  new  flock  of  chickens  that  had  been  bought 

262 


LIBERTY    HALL 

in  such  fine  condition  that  Alberta  never  had  to 
buy  eggs,  and  occasionally  had  a  fricassee  from 
her  own  poultry-yard.  Moreover,  presents 
rained  in  on  Liberty  Hall.  One  day  it  was  a 
fine,  wild  turkey  with  the  compliments  of  old 
Mr.  Ketcham,  whose  acquaintance  Alberta  had 
made  when  visiting  the  Carruthers.  He  was  a 
genial,  ruddy  old  gentleman  with  an  Irish  man- 
ner and  wit  and  the  kindest  heart  in  the  world. 
He  practically  made  over  his  little  lake  to  the 
girls,  and  put  up  at  his  own  expense  a  charming 
winter  pavilion  where  they  might  rest  and  have 
hot  coffee  in  the  intervals  of  skating. 

Then,  Mrs.  Beacham  devised  excuses  for 
sending  over  fruit  cake  or  some  of  her  delicious 
mincemeat,  and  Mrs.  Dezevolos  constantly 
made  Dotty  the  bearer  of  fruit  from  her  hot- 
house. The  boarding-school  girls  who  had  the 
privilege  of  sitting  down  to  a  Sunday  tea  con- 
fronted by  a  little  centerpiece  of  nectarines  and 
grapes,  and  were  served  all  around  with  gen- 
erous slices  of  fruit  cake  full  of  citron  and  Mal- 
aga raisins,  blessed  their  generous  hostess. 

"  No  Academy  fare  for  mine,"  pronounced  the 
slangy  Witch.  "I  stick  to  Liberty  Hall.  Say, 
Alberta,  will  you  run  this  as  a  permanent  insti- 
tution? At  least,  keep  on  till  I  graduate!" 

"Our  landlady  isn't  like  the  celebrated  Mrs. 

18  263 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Pipchin,  keeping  the  chops  and  hot  toast  for 
herself,"  declared  one  of  the  Philadelphians, 
with  a  smooth  voice  and  ingratiating  look.  She 
was  a  delicate  girl,  manifestly  spoiled  at  home, 
and  inclined  to  get  privileges  beyond  the  others 
by  wheedling.  The  mischievous  but  down- 
right Witch  Hazleton  had  a  positive  dislike  for 
her,  and  frequently  mocked  her  artificial  man- 
ner, so  that  Alberta,  in  justice,  tried  to  be  more 
than  ordinarily  attentive  to  her,  although  in  her 
secret  heart  she  did  not  entirely  trust  the  girl. 

There  was  a  hearty,  wholesome  habit  of  hon- 
est lesson-getting  at  the  Academy;  the  pupils 
were  imbued  with  an  ambition  to  please  a  prin- 
cipal who  was  lenient  and  just,  even  if  they  had 
little  personal  ambition.  Miss  Elkins  would 
sometimes  enter  a  recitation-room  and  suddenly 
give  a  little  talk  on  some  subject  of  general 
interest,  historical  or  sociological,  usually  ending 
in  some  such  way  as  this : 

"What  I  particularly  want  you  all  to  try  for, 
girls,  is  broad  culture.  It  doesn't  matter  so  much 
about  remembering  every  little  detail  of  your 
studies,  if  you  get  the  spirit  of  them.  Many  a 
fact  will  slip  away  from  you  after  you  leave 
school,  but  one  thing  will  always  stay,  if  you 
try  to  retain  it,  and  that  is  the  principle  that 
lies  at  the  bottom  of  facts.  Try  to  get  to  love 

264 


LIBERTY    HALL 

honesty  and  justice,  and  to  appreciate  values. 
If  I  can  help  my  girls  to  understand  the  meaning 
of  history  I  don't  care  whether  they  know  all 
the  important  dates  or  not.  And  I  would  rather 
have  you  do  honest  work  in  languages  than  to 
be  able  to  pass  brilliant  examinations.  It  will 
be  more  useful  to  you  in  the  long  run.*' 

Inez  Jones,  the  older  sister  of  the  pair  of 
Philadelphians,  had  listened  to  one  such  talk, 
which  had  impressed  Alberta,  with  a  cynical 
little  smile.  She  was  evidently  far  from  appre- 
ciating the  spirit  that  moved  the  earnest 
principal. 

"Sounds  fine,  doesn't  it?"  she  murmured  to 
her  sister.  "But  I  guess  we  won't  stand  much 
show  if  we  don't  manage  to  get  good  marks  for 
knowing  our  facts,  all  the  same!"  Inez  never 
impressed  Alberta  as  being  a  studious  girl,  yet 
the  teachers  had  no  fault  to  find  with  her  appli- 
cation, and  the  German  teacher,  especially,  was 
enthusiastic  over  her.  Now  the  little  mistress 
of  Liberty  Hall  noticed  that  Inez  seemed  to 
have  time  for  every  occupation  but  studying, 
and  spent  many  hours  lying  on  the  bed  in  her 
room,  reading  literature  which  never  appeared 
down-stairs. 

"Not  my  business,  anyway,"  thought  Al- 
berta, worried,  but  not  wanting  to  interfere 

265 


LIBERTY    HALL 

with  matters  that  did  not  come  within  her 
province.  She  did  not  know  how  to  reconcile 
the  fact  that  Inez  had  risen  to  the  head  of  the 
German  class,  yet  never  seemed  to  be  plodding, 
as  all  the  rest  of  the  class  were  obliged  to  plod, 
to  keep  up  with  the  severe  demands  of  an 
excellent  but  almost  over-zealous  instructress. 

The  day  inevitably  comes  when  mysteries, 
small  as  well  as  great,  solve  themselves.  But 
sometimes,  in  bringing  hidden  facts  to  the  light, 
onlookers  are  tripped  up  who  have  no  concern 
with  the  business  in  hand.  After  a  certain  epi- 
sode in  her  own  experience  Alberta  took  to 
heart  a  pet  remark  of  the  teacher  of  mathe- 
matics— one  she  uttered  so  often  that  the  girls 
made  fun  of  it. 

Miss  Skinner  was  wont  to  say,  impressively, 
whenever  she  made  the  mistake  of  rebuking 
the  wrong  girl,  "Avoid  the  appearance  of  evil, 
girls!" 

Perhaps  the  thing  would  not  have  happened 
if  it  had  not  been  a  stormy  morning;  but  then, 
the  storm  was  part  of  the  plot.  Snow,  rain,  and 
hail  had  fallen  during  the  night,  and  morning 
scarcely  dawned,  but  merely  hinted  that  it  had 
come  by  scattering  a  misty  light  here  and  there 
over  a  bleak,  leaden  sky.  Despite  the  lamps 
and  candles  that  were  liberally  lit  everywhere 

266 


LIBERTY    HALL 

in  Liberty  Hall,  the  girls  declared  that  they 
didn't  know  their  right  hand  from  their  left,  and 
must  be  excused  if  they  put  on  a  neighbor's 
rubbers  or  cap  for  their  own.  After  a  breakfast 
that  had  necessarily  been  late  all  the  girls 
hurriedly  caught  up  their  books,  and,  with  heads 
bowed  before  the  biting  sleet,  ran  to  the  Acad- 
emy building,  reaching  it  too  late  for  assembly, 
and  barely  in  time  to  report  for  their  first 
recitations. 

It  was  German  morning,  and  Alberta  was 
requested  by  Fraulein  Roth  to  return  a  certain 
lexicon  she  had  lent  her  the  previous  week. 
Mindful  of  the  demand,  Alberta  had  secured  it, 
as  she  believed,  and  now  rose  and  laid  it  on  the 
teacher's  desk. 

Fraulein  looked  at  it  and  looked  at  her;  then 
a  dark  flush  overspread  her  face  and  she 
frowned. 

"Miss  Lewis,  do  you  know  what  book  this  is 
you  have  given  me?" 

"Isn't  it  the  lexicon?" 

Fraulein  held  it  out.  It  was  bound  in  red,  and 
was  nearly  the  same  size  as  the  lexicon ;  but  in- 
stead of  being  the  innocent  little  book  the  girl 
had  supposed  it,  it  was  an  English  translation 
of  the  German  book  they  were  struggling 
through  in  class — the  difficult  Beruhmte  Deutsche 

267 


LIBERTY    HALL 

of  Schrakamp.  Alberta  had  innocently  thrust 
under  the  very  nose  of  the  irascible  teacher  the 
thing  she  had  constantly  inveighed  against  and 
prohibited — a  crib! 

The  whole  class — nine  girls — had  but  a  single 
eye  and  ear.  Alberta  felt  as  if  the  crash  of 
doom  had  sounded.  An  instant  suspicion 
leaped  into  her  confused  mind,  but  it  was  one 
she  would  not  have  breathed,  even  to  save  her- 
self, for  it  was  merely  a  suspicion,  not  a  definite 
fact.  She  knew  that  some  one  of  the  girls  living 
at  her  own  house  owned  that  crib  and  had  it 
in  use,  for  she  had  picked  it  up  in  a  hurry,  sup- 
posing it  the  other  book.  She  believed  that 
there  was  but  one  girl  capable  of  carrying  on 
such  a  deception,  and  this  the  one  who  had 
lately  been  getting  such  good  marks  for  her 
work.  But  she  did  not  look  toward  the  Phila- 
delphian;  she  looked  at  the  floor,  and  the  color 
in  her  cheek,  the  dimness  in  her  eyes,  bore  the 
appearance  of  guilt  to  Fraulein. 

"You  are  excused  from  class!"  she  heard  the 
teacher  say.  And  then,  in  a  lower  tone,  "I  must, 
of  course,  report  this  matter  to  Miss  Elkins." 

Alberta  bowed,  and  walked  with  as  much 
steadiness  as  she  could  summon  from  the  class- 
room to  her  desk  in  the  adjoining  room.  There 
were  many  glances  of  curiosity  cast  at  her,  but 

268 


LIBERTY    HALL 

none  of  suspicion,  for  the  girls  merely  supposed 
she  had  left  a  lesson  she  had  not  properly  pre- 
pared. Fraulein  was  given  to  such  freaks  as 
dismissing  a  pupil  abruptly. 

But  in  half  an  hour  the  German  class  filed  in, 
and  then  the  ordeal  was  more  severe.  Most  of 
the  girls  restrained  themselves  and  neither 
looked  at  her  nor  whispered,  but  one  or  two 
were  less  well  bred,  and  Alberta  knew  there  was 
a  sentence  floating  around  her  to  the  effect  that 
she  was  a  fine  example — a  fit  mistress  for  the 
envied  adjunct  of  the  Academy  called  Liberty 
Hall.  She  felt  the  disdain  that  her  enemies — 
she  had  a  few — now  expressed  for  her. 

The  dreaded  summons  came.  When  she 
walked  to  the  door  of  the  room,  all  the  school 
knew  where  she  was  going.  Hannah  and  Gladys 
and  Miriam  gave  her  glances  of  frank,  generous 
sympathy,  that  of  Gladys,  however,  bearing  a 
queer  tinge  of  remembrance  of  things  Alberta 
had  once  said  to  her  about  cheating  in  class. 

"Whatever  the  matter  is,"  whispered  Witch 
Hazleton,  "I,  for  one,  shall  stand  by  Alberta. 
There's  some  mistake  somewhere — Fraulein  is 
making  a  mess!"  Several  others  thought  so, 
too;  and  Miss  Elkins,  standing  in  profound 
gravity  beside  her  desk,  with  Fraulein  beside 
her,  believed  that  her  favorite  pupil  would  be 

269 


LIBERTY    HALL 

able  to  clear  up  readily  a  mystery  that  cast 
unimaginable  discredit  on  her.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  believe  that  Alberta  would  betray  her 
trust.  She  had  been,  in  a  way,  placed  in  charge 
of  a  number  of  the  pupils  of  the  Academy.  It 
was  inconceivable  that  she  should  have  proved 
unworthy  of  that  position. 

Miss  Elkins's  voice  was  kindly,  although  a 
little  formal:  "I  am  sure  this  is  something  that 
can  be  easily  explained,  Alberta,"  she  said. 
"Tell  me  all  about  it." 

It  was  easy  to  ask;  impossible  to  obey.  Al- 
berta thought  of  the  weak,  wwmoral  girl  who 
owned  and  used  that  crib,  the  parents  who 
were  anxious  about  her,  who  were,  apparently, 
proud  of  her,  for  they  wrote  glowing  letters 
which  the  daughter  showed;  she  was  far  from 
home  and  had  hardly  a  genuine  friend  to  stand 
by  her.  Perhaps  it  was  a  piece  of  Quixotism  to 
hold  her  tongue  and  let  suspicion  rest  upon  her- 
self;  but  since  it  was  only  a  suspicion,  she  re- 
solved not  to  accuse  her  comrade.  She  drew  a 
deep  breath  and  straightened  her  shoulders.  She 
felt  strong  enough  to  bear  trouble ;  perhaps  Inez 
would  succumb  under  it. 

"I  don't  know  what  to  say,  Miss  Elkins.  All 
I  can  say  is  that  I  never  have  been  and  never 
expect  to  be  dishonest  in  anything." 

270 


LIBERTY    HALL 

It  was  a  poor  defense.  Fraulein  smiled  de- 
risively. Her  notions  of  discipline  were  foreign; 
she  could  not  understand  the  leniency  with 
which  the  principal  was  dealing  with  this  girl, 
who  was  not  a  favorite  of  her  own,  by  any  means. 
Alberta  was  too  independent,  too  outspoken — 
and  now  she  was  proving  stupidly  deceitful. 

"It  is  a  case — but  certainly — of  suspension, 
dear  Madam!"  she  murmured.  "An  example 
should  be  made.  I  have  told  them  all  so 
often—" 

Miss  Elkins  waved  her  hand — the  long,  thin 
white  hand  that  had  conferred  so  many  kind- 
nesses on  the  Western  stranger,  and  which  she 
now  saw  through  a  mist  of  tears. 

"I  think  I  understand  the  situation,  Fraulein. 
Thank  you  for  the  prudence  and  zeal  you  have 
shown.  Perhaps  it  will  be  better  for  me  to  man- 
age the  matter  myself.  I  need  not  beg  you  to 
go  on  as  though  this  had  not  occurred." 

Fraulein  looked  as  if  the  ceiling  had  fallen  on 
her.  Truly,  American  schools  were  managed 
in  a  way  that  was  incomprehensible!  She  wad- 
dled out  indignantly,  her  face  red,  and  Alberta 
was  left  alone  with  the  principal.  Plainly,  Miss 
Elkins  expected  her  to  make  now  the  confidence 
she  had  been  withholding.  Not  to  do  so  would 
be  actually  disloyal  to  so  kind  a  friend.  Yet 

271 


LIBERTY    HALL 

she  anxiously  thought  over  every  word  she 
uttered  before  speaking  aloud. 

"Some  accident  has  placed  you  in  this  di- 
lemma, I  feel  sure,"  said  Miss  Elkins.  There 
was  a  large  and  liberal  benignancy  about  her, 
a  motherliness  that  tempted  Alberta  to  cast 
herself  into  her  arms  and  acknowledge  all  she 
knew  and  divined.  But  she  restrained  herself. 

"I  am  not  at  liberty  to  explain,  Miss  Elkins. " 
Her  honest,  anxious  eyes  seemed  bigger  and 
darker  than  usual,  but  her  face  was  calm.  "I 
hope  you  won't  think  too  badly  of  me!  But  I 
must  bear  the  consequences  of  this,  and  take 
whatever  penalty  there  is." 

"Alberta,  you  amaze  me!  Do  you  realize 
what  you  are  saying,  my — my  dear?  It  will  not 
be  possible  for  me  to  keep  on  with  the  little 
partnership  I  have  been  so  happy  to  have  with 
you,  if  you — apparently — are  not  entirely  trust- 
worthy. It  is  a  case  of  Caesar's  wife,  you  know. 
You  must  be  above  the  slightest  suspicion.  Of 
course,  Alberta,  you  are  only  a  girl  and  I  don't 
expect  perfection.  '  But  a  real,  deliberate  piece 
of  deception  such  as  this!  That  crib  must  have 
been  deliberately  purchased,  and  not  in  Elm- 
ville,  evidently."  Suddenly  a  thought  struck 
the  principal  and  she  turned  to  the  title-page 
of  the  volume  she  had  been  holding.  But  it 

272 


LIBERTY    HALL 

told  little,  being  that  of  a  big  firm  in  New  York. 
Any  pupil  might  have  sent  for  it  through  the 
mail.  She  looked  through  it  thoughtfully.  Al- 
though there  was  a  pencil-mark  here  and 
there,  there  was  nothing  by  which  to  identify 
the  owner — whom  Miss  Elkins,  for  reasons  of 
her  own,  based  upon  her  experience  of  girls' 
character,  did  not  believe  to  be  the  girl  before 
her. 

The  whole  consequence  of  the  hideous  di- 
lemma rushed  suddenly  over  Alberta.  It  was 
not  she  alone  who  was  involved;  it  was  Dotty. 
It  was  their  whole  future  that  was  involved — 
their  living,  their  reputation.  She  had  lived 
long  enough  in  Kentucky  to  know  that  there  is 
but  one  thing  a  Kentuckian  will  not  pardon — 
cheating  in  any  form.  Even  a  school-girl  may 
not  lie  or  deceive.  She  had  inwardly  rejoiced 
in  this  attitude  of  mind,  so  congenial  to  her; 
now  it  made  against  her. 

Standing  face  to  face  with  a  problem  so  tiny 
in  appearance,  so  vast  in  reality,  she  felt  des- 
perate. But  for  Dotty 's  sake! — 

"Miss  Elkins,  if  I  must,  I  must!  I  will  say 
this  much:  I  accidentally  found  that  book 
among  my  own  books,  and  it  looked  so  much 
like  the  lexicon  I  borrowed  of  Fraulein  that  I 
laid  it  on  her  desk  without  a  suspicion  of  its 

273 


LIBERTY    HALL 

being  a  crib.  It  is  not  mine,  and  I've  never 
used  it." 

"I  knew  it!  I  felt  sure  of  you,  Alberta.  And 
now,  do  you  know  whose  it  is?" 

4 'You  are  not  going  to  ask  me  that?  I 
thought  you  would  let  me  off  from  saying  any 
more." 

"Impossible.  It  isn't  a  hanging  matter,  my 
child.  But  you  know  that,  now  the  other  girls 
have  had  an  inkling  of  what  is  going  on,  we 
must  clear  it  all  up.  I  rather  wish  that  Frau- 
lein  had  not  been  so  quick,  but  it  can't  be  helped 
now." 

"I  don't  know  whose  it  is!" 

"You  only  have  a  suspicion?  We'll  let  the 
matter  stand  at  that.  It  must  be  my  business 
to  find  out  who  has  been  practising  this  deceit. 
Come,  my  dear,  you've  borne  this  trial  nobly," 
and  the  principal  drew  the  girl  to  her  and  kissed 
her  on  the  forehead.  Then,  in  her  stately  way 
she  entered  the  school-room,  with  Alberta  in  her 
wake,  and  waiting  until  the  little  indefinite  stir 
of  excitement  had  subsided,  and  Alberta  had 
taken  her  seat,  she  made  a  little  speech  in  which 
she  exonerated  the  girl  completely  from  the 
odium  that  had  fallen  upon  her  and  earnestly 
desired  the  real  culprit  to  come  forward  and 
acknowledge  her  fault.  Many  were  the  looks 

274 


LIBERTY    HALL 

exchanged,  many  the  rustles  and  whispers  of 
the  girls  under  the  calm  and  searching  scrutiny 
of  the  experienced,  kindly  eyes  bent  upon 
them.  But  nobody  came  forward.  The  girl 
who  should  have  done  so  was  in  the  most  re- 
mote corner  of  the  big  room,  almost  behind  the 
door,  an  unfavorable  location  which  had  fallen 
to  her  because  of  the  crowded  state  of  the  school, 
but  which  she  had  seemed  not  to  dislike. 
Alberta  avoided  looking  toward  her. 

"The  school  is  adjourned  for  recess,"  said 
Miss  Elkins,  more  sharply  than  she  was  in  the 
habit  of  speaking.  The  brief,  distinct  tap  of 
her  bell  expressed  to  the  sensitive  a  certain 
annoyance  which  she  did  not  voice. 

The  girls  crowded  around  Alberta.  Questions 
poured  in  upon  her,  comments  were  made  that 
nearly  touched  the  cowardly  girl  who  had  slid 
off  her  own  fault  on  to  the  generous  shoulders. 
But  although  certainly  some  few  did  guess  who 
that  was,  no  remark  of  Alberta  helped  the  dis- 
covery. The  little  tempest  soon  exhausted  it- 
self under  the  greater  excitement  of  the  big 
dress  rehearsal  for  the  Christmas  play,  to  be 
held  that  afternoon.  Dotty  was  to  be  in  it,  a 
fairy  character  dressed  through  the  generosity 
of  Mrs.  Dezevolos  in  a  way  that  ravished  all 
eyes.  But  Alberta  had  not  been  included  among 


LIBERTY    HALL 

the  company,  as  she  had  not  wanted  to  push 
herself  forward,  and  preferred  that  Dotty 
should  have  the  pleasure.  She  remained  after 
school  to  array  the  child  in  her  pretty  costume, 
and  then  made  part  of  the  audience.  The  re- 
hearsal was  in  the  assembly-room,  where  a  tem- 
porary stage  had  been  erected. 

Alberta  had  concerns  of  her  own  to  occupy 
her  time,  for  she  had  planned  a  real  Christmas 
celebration  at  Liberty  Hall  for  her  own  set,  in- 
viting all  the  girls  who  were  not  going  home  for 
the  vacation.  The  dinner  she  left  in  the  hands 
of  Sarah  Cummings  and  Martha;  but  another 
plan,  dear  to  her  heart,  she  desired  to  carry  out 
herself.  She  wanted  to  do  something  for  the 
suffering  poor  around  her.  What  it  should  be 
she  could  not  divine  until  she  had  talked  with 
Miss  Dollery  about  it,  and  with  Mrs.  Beacham, 
whose  sympathies  were  large  enough  to  cover 
all  the  unfortunates  in  Kentucky  if  she  could 
have  reached  them. 

But,  after  all,  it  was  the  boys  who  finally 
helped  Alberta.  One  evening  an  informal  gath- 
ering had  come  about  at  Liberty  Hall,  through 
a  present  from  Mr.  Ketcham  of  a  bagful  of  new 
English  walnuts  from  Oregon.  Alberta  had 
telephoned  right  and  left  for  her  friends  to  come 
and  enjoy  them,  and  they  were  all  sitting  about 


LIBERTY   HALL 

the  glowing  hearth,  girls  in  chairs  and  boys  re- 
clining on  rugs  or  lolling  in  the  attitudes  dear 
to  youths,  when  Tom  Mallony  suddenly  had 
an  idea. 

"I've  got  a  friend  in  the  show-business — 
splendid  looker — poses  for  moving  pictures,  you 
see.  Now,  I  bet  I  could  get  him  to  have  some 
extra-good  show  put  on  here  at  this  bum  little 
theater  down-street,  and  then  we  could  buy  in 
all  the  tickets  and  send  'em  up  to  Coonville, 
to  the  natives.  See?  And  you  girls  could  give 
souvenirs — things  to  eat  and  things  to  wear, 
and  things  to  play  with — to  the  kiddies,  you 
know.  Those  Coonville  people  are  proud  as 
Lucifer,  but  they'd  appreciate  something  done 
at  Christmas  for  their  kids.  Reckon  they  don't 
know  what  Christmas  is,  but  you  could  explain!" 

"That's  the  thing,  it  seems  to  me,"  com- 
mented Sarah  Cummings,  adding,  with  her  usual 
deference  to  the  young  mistress  of  the  house, 
"If  Alberta  likes  it." 

"I  don't  know  of  anything  that  would  be 
better!  Can  it  really  be  done,  Tom?" 

Tom  prinked,  feeling  that  he  had  gained  a 
point  over  the  other  fellows,  who  looked  envious. 
"You  bet  it  can!  I'll  put  my  little  shoulder  to 
the  wheel,  and  there'll  be  some  revolving." 

"There's  going  to  be  a  fearful  explosion  of 
277 


LIBERTY    HALL 

energy  here,"  said  John,  looking  about  as  if  to 
see  whether  the  walls  were  already  trembling. 

"I  want  to  give  them  a  little  feast,"  said 
Alberta.  "I  was  thinking  of  a  tree." 

"Old,  old  idea — a  tree.  Think  of  something 
newer." 

"Christmas  is  an  old,  old  idea,  but  none  the 
worse  for  that.  Some  old  things  are  good,  Tom 
Mallony." 

"Have  the  show  first,  and  the  tree  here  after- 
ward," suggested  Roy.  "Mother  will  send  over 
trimmings.  She's  got  some  little  shop  in  Lex- 
ington under  her  patronage  that's  kept  by  two 
maiden  sisters  who  make  gilt  paper  ornaments. 
She's  just  bought  about  twenty  bushels  of  the 
stuff.  Candles,  too.  As  for  the  candy,  we  fel- 
lows will  contribute  that.  You  won't  want 
Huyler's,  will  you?" 

"To-morrow  I'll  order  a  barrel  of  good,  old- 
fashioned  hard  candy,  fresh  from  the  factory, 
and  all  you'll  have  to  do  is  to  put  it  up  in  little 
packages,"  said  John. 

"A  barrel!  What  do  you  think  about  that, 
Tom?" 

"Guess  I'll  get  dad  to  send  in  a  ton  or  so  of 
coal.  How  would  a  few  portable  houses  suit, 
Allie?"  demanded  Tom,  poking  the  fire  ener- 
getically to  relieve  his  feelings. 

278 


LIBERTY    HALL 

The  Philadelphia  girls  giggled  and  gazed 
admiringly  at  him.  They  admired  Roy  im- 
mensely, but  said  that  Tom  reminded  them  of 
their  cousin — he  was  so  generous  and  kind- 
hearted.  Since  the  affair  of  the  German  crib 
Inez  had  hovered  about  Alberta  with  a  half- 
fearful  coaxingness  that  concealed  some  real 
misery.  Her  recitations  had  failed  remark- 
ably, but  as  discipline  was  now  relaxed,  and 
everything  had  given  way  to  Christmas,  this 
was  not  noticed,  as  it  would  have  been  at  other 
times.  And  Inez  had  declared  that  the  climate 
of  Kentucky  was  not  agreeing  with  her,  and 
that  she  was  going  home  after  the  holidays. 
Some  one  asked  her  why  she  didn't  go  before, 
to  which  she  had  no  reply  ready.  The  truth 
was,  she  would  not  have  missed  the  celebration 
at  Liberty  Hall.  Her  own  home  was  not  as 
pleasant  and  cheerful  as  this  Kentucky  school. 
But  she  knew  that  Alberta  despised  her,  and  the 
knowledge  was  painful.  Judging  by  her  own 
views,  she  imagined,  too,  that  the  young  hostess 
was  merely  holding  back  from  self-interest  what 
she  knew  about  the  deception  of  the  German 
book,  and  that  if  things  changed  it  might  come 
out.  Inez  thought  it  better  policy  to  persuade  her 
parents  to  let  her  go  to  another  school.  Chang- 
ing schools  was  a  frequent  experience  with  her. 
19  279 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Tom  Mallony  was  quick-witted,  and  he  had 
no  liking  for  these  sisters.  He  was  usually  icily 
polite  to  them — so  courteous  that  they  felt  as 
if  they  would  never  get  acquainted  with  him, 
which  was  the  effect  he  wanted  to  produce. 
Miriam  had  told  him  about  the  incident  at 
school,  and,  easy-going  himself,  Tom  was  fiery 
in  defense  of  his  friends.  He  would  have  en- 
joyed punching  the  head  of  the  cousin  of  the 
Jones  girls,  since  they  had  no  brother  to  fasten 
a  quarrel  upon.  Their  presence  was  the  only 
thing  that  dimmed  the  bright  atmosphere  of 
Liberty  Hall  to  him.  However,  as  the  sweet 
look  of  Alberta  and  the  eagerness  of  little  Dotty 
reminded  him,  it  was  the  Christmas  season.  He 
put  grievances  in  his  pocket  and  did  his  best. 

The  consultation  resulted  in  the  definite  plan 
of  a  "show,"  at  the  toy  theater  "down-street," 
which  ran  an  occasional  "movie,"  but  was  usu- 
ally closed.  The  "show"  was  to  be  followed  by 
a  big  Christmas  tree  and  a  supper  at  Liberty 
Hall. 

Martha  was  the  only  person  who  demurred: 
"Is  you-all  gwine  to  let  all  that'ere  po'  white 
trash  come  into  yo'  own  grandfather's  house, 
honey?  Why  not  send  'em  somethin'  up  the 
mountains?  I  wouldn't  let  'em  in  here,  if  I  was 
you-all!" 

280 


LIBERTY    HALL 

But  Martha  was  smothered  and  bribed  into 
good  humor.  "Christmas  is  no  respecter  of 
persons,  Martha,"  said  Miss  Dollery,  softly.  "I 
uphold  Miss  Alberta  in  her  idea.  Bless  the 
child,  she  has  a  heart  of  gold,  and  she  wants  to 
make  somebody  happy  at  this  season  who 
hasn't  any  other  chance  of  being  happy.  Let's 
help  her." 

"Have  yo'  own  way,  honey.  But,  someway, 
I  never  could  abide  to  see  the  bottom  rail 
a-ridin'  on  the  top  o'  the  fence!" 


CHAPTER  XV 

IT  was  ideal  Christinas  weather — cold,  clear, 
and  frosty  after  a  splendid  snow-storm  that 
laid  over  the  landscape  a  coat  of  glistening 
white.  No  New  York  "white  wings"  delved 
and  shoveled  at  the  snow  to  turn  it  into  mud 
and  cart  it  away.  In  Elmville  it  would  lie  on 
the  streets,  seldom  traveled,  until  the  spring 
rains  came,  and  the  boys,  let  loose  from  school, 
joyously  converted  the  hills  into  slides  without 
fear  of  being  ordered  off  their  playgrounds. 

The  old  Lewis  house  was  so  glorified  that  it 
hardly  knew  itself.  Greens  adorned  every  public 
room,  and  most  tastefully  were  they  arranged, 
for  not  only  the  girls,  but  Miss  Dollery  and  Mrs. 
Dezevolos,  made  the  queen  of  the  occasion  and 
giving  soft  orders  from  her  chair  of  state,  worked 
happily  together.  Holly  and  mistletoe  gleamed 
through  dark,  enlacing  boughs,  both  enticing  and 
threatening  the  girls,  who  warily  acquainted 
themselves  with  the  location  of  the  little  sprigs 
which  somebody — it  was  never  confessed  who! — 
put  up  here  and  there. 

282 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Best  dresses  were  pressed  and  ribbons  laun- 
dered until  Martha  declared  that  she  would  go 
clean  crazy  if  the  young  ladies  didn't  keep  out 
of  her  kitchen.  Dozens  of  eggs  were  beaten  and 
raisins  stemmed  for  the  enormous  fruit  cake 
that  gave  forth  such  a  delicious  odor  when 
finally  placed  in  the  slow,  smoldering  oven, 
that  Clarissa  rolled  on  the  floor  in  ecstasy  and 
Dotty  was  almost  as  excited. 

Boxes  and  packages  galore  occupied  tables 
and  chairs,  for  the  girls'  families  sent  an  unusual 
number  of  gifts  to  compensate  for  their  daugh- 
ters being  away  from  home.  Nor  were  Alberta's 
friends  behind  them.  The  girl  smiled  happily 
as,  one  after  another,  big  boxes  came  to  the  door, 
bearing  her  name  and  that  magic  label — "Not 
to  be  opened  until  Christmas" — which  dis- 
tinguished personal  gifts  from  the  many  that 
were  sent  in  for  her  "party"  to  the  mountain- 
eers. Invitations  had  been  sent  to  Coonville 
by  a  colored  man  on  horseback.  He  secretly 
believed  that  he  was  taking  his  life  in  his  hands 
by  performing  such  an  errand,  but  was  per- 
suaded by  a  fee  that  appeared  to  him  enormous, 
backed  by  the  persuasion  of  Judge  Beacham 
himself. 

"You're  not  to  mention  any  names  but  that 
of  Miss  Alberta  Lewis,"  the  man  was  cautioned, 

283 


LIBERTY    HALL 

and  he  faithfully  obeyed  instructions.  The 
result  was  satisfactory.  Coonville  accepted  the 
invitation  for  its  children;  and,  naturally,  the 
children  must  be  accompanied.  The  "show" 
was  to  take  place  early,  soon  after  noon,  at  the 
little  theater,  and  to  be  followed  without  delay 
by  the  lighting  of  the  great  tree  at  Liberty 
Hall,  and  a  supper  at  the  same  place.  All  the 
grown  people,  consulting  their  common  sense 
and  experience,  resolved  to  keep  out  of  the  way 
and  to  leave  the  entire  affair  to  "the  children," 
after  they  had  done  everything  they  could  to 
further  the  good  work.  Alberta's  heart  fluttered 
in  twice  its  usual  number  of  beats  when  she 
thought  of  the  responsibility  she  had  under- 
taken. It  was  like  inviting  a  menagerie  of  un- 
tamed bears  to  come  and  visit  her.  But  Miss 
Dollery  reassured  her. 

"They're  strange,  wild  creatures,  dearie,  but 
you're  going  to  be  surprised,  maybe,  to  find 
that,  except  for  their  ignorance,  they'll  be  much 
like  the  people  you've  always  known.  They'll 
be  as  polite,  as  keen  to  make  you  feel  comfort- 
able with  them,  as  you  are  to  make  them  happy." 

So  the  girl  was  comforted,  and  the  day  before 
Christmas,  after  a  hurried  breakfast,  she  ran 
down-street  to  see  whether  everything  was 
moving  well  at  the  little  theater.  All  the  boys 

284 


LIBERTY    HALL 

were  there,  and  some  strangers,  who  were  intro- 
duced to  her  with  importance  by  Tom  Mallony, 
and  admired  her  obviously. 

Apparently  the  "movies"  needed  none  of  her 
help,  and  she  could  give  her  mind  to  her  house. 
But  soon  after  ten  o'clock  Tom  ran  over  in  a 
great  hurry,  and  called  her  down  from  a  bit  of 
work  abovestairs. 

"Say,  Allie,  if  you  want  to  see  something 
that's  the  funniest  ever,  come  with  me — " 

She  caught  a  glimpse  of  his  sparkling  eyes, 
half  hidden  by  the  bushy  hair  tumbling  over 
them,  and  ran  for  her  hat  and  coat.  Tom  es- 
corted her  to  the  corner  of  the  street  which  was 
the  thoroughfare  from  the  settlement  of  Coon- 
ville  to  the  Lexington  turnpike,  and  carefully 
drew  her  into  a  doorway,  from  whose  vantage 
she  could  look  on  passers-by. 

Straggling  along,  sometimes  walking,  but  of- 
tener  riding  on  lean  mules,  she  could  now  per- 
ceive the  mountaineers.  The  women  sometimes 
rode  two  together  on  a  single  mule,  their  feet 
sticking  straight  out  in  front  of  them,  visible 
under  their  brief  skirts  of  linsey  or  sacking. 
Most  of  the  children,  riding  with  their  mothers, 
or  on  the  broad  shoulders  of  their  strapping 
fathers,  had  had  their  faces  washed  and  their 
hair  sleeked  down.  But  here  and  there  came 

285 


LIBERTY    HALL 

one  whose  mother  had  either  forgotten  the 
family  comb  and  wash-rag  or  had  been  unable  to 
borrow  one  of  a  neighbor,  for  it  was  unkempt 
to  a  degree  that  made  the  girl  onlooker  draw  a 
pitying  breath.  An  unhealthy  color  prevailed 
among  the  children,  as  if  they  were  fed  on 
grease  or  chicory,  as,  indeed,  they  often  were. 
There  were  some  babies  whose  great  eyes  stared 
out  from  a  covert  of  rags  in  an  amazed  curi- 
osity. Alberta  counted  twenty-seven  persons, 
exclusive  of  the  babies  in  arms,  and  Tom  said 
that  she  had  probably  missed  half  as  many 
more,  earlier  comers. 

At  the  door  of  the  theater  John  stood,  big 
and  gentle,  and  the  mountaineers  glanced  ap- 
provingly at  his  proportions  as  they  filed  past 
him  with  silent  and  sometimes  cunning  caution. 
They,  as  well  as  their  hostess,  took  a  risk  in  this 
interchange  of  hospitality,  and  perhaps  not  the 
least  part  of  it.  Alberta  felt  excited  as  she 
recollected  that  more  than  one  ''moonshiner" 
with  a  price  put  upon  him  by  the  authorities 
had  braved  danger  to  bring  his  family  to  her 
Christmas  celebration.  To  most  of  the  guests 
Christmas  was  a  mysterious  word;  scarcely 
anything  more  was  known  than  that  it  was  to 
bring  fun  and  feasting.  The  boys,  one  and  all, 
were  enchanted  by  the  spice  of  danger  that  was 

286 


LIBERTY    HALL 

in  the  occasion.  They  suspected  the  men  of 
wearing  concealed  "guns,"  and  were  scrupu- 
lously polite  and  deferential  to  everybody. 

A  piano  had  been  placed  in  the  theater,  as 
being  more  novel  than  an  orchestra  of  fiddles 
and  drums,  and  it  now  began  to  play,  under  the 
manipulation  of  Roy  Dezevolos,  who  was  the 
musician  of  the  occasion. 

"Perfectly  angelic  of  him,"  murmured  Al- 
berta, as  she  returned  home,  still  under  the 
guard  of  Tom,  who  seemed  to  be  afraid  to  let 
her  go  alone.  "All  of  you  boys  have  been 
sweet,  Tom,  and  I  don't  know  how  to  thank 
you  enough." 

"Wait  till  after  the  opera  is  over  before  you 
thank  us.  Things  may  not  turn  out  all  right. 
I  don't  mean  anything — "  he  added,  hastily,  as 
she  looked  alarmed.  "Everything  is  all  right. 
I  think  we're  all  going  to  have  a  bully  time. 
Now,  when  you've  got  rid  of  your  mountaineers, 
and  had  your  supper  and  tree  and  all  that, 
what  are  you  girls  going  to  do?" 

"Well,  to-morrow  we  have  our  own  dinner, 
you  know.  I  haven't  thought  about  doing 
anything  special  to-night." 

"You  can  go  to  bed  early,  then,"  and  Tom 
grinned  in  such  a  significant  way  that  she  had 
a  fleeting  fancy  he  was  up  to  some  mischief. 

287 


LIBERTY    HALL 

But  as  several  girls  came  tearing  out  of  the  house 
at  this  moment  to  demand  where  she  had  been, 
she  forgot  the  impression. 

The  show  held  some  little  accidents,  for  the 
films  stuck  and  the  operators  were  inexperi- 
enced; but  the  audience  was  good-humored  and 
easy,  and  frequently  a  man  would  jump  up  and 
go  toward  the  stage  with  offers  of  assistance  and 
suggestions  that  were  original,  if  not  practical. 
Nothing  serious  occurred  to  interfere  with  the 
general  enjoyment,  and  about  four  o'clock  Lib- 
erty Hall,  alight  from  top  to  bottom,  with  its 
front  door  hospitably  thrown  open,  was  ap- 
proached by  the  curious  and  bashful  throng, 
which  filled  it 'to  overflowing. 

The  dining-table  had  been  eked  out  by  two 
other  smaller  ones  and  trimmed  with  vines  and 
holly  berries.  As  no  cloth  had  been  placed  on  it, 
there  was  at  each  place  a  pretty  paper-lace  mat. 
Here  the  grown  people  were  seated  by  the  atten- 
tive girls — Alberta,  Miriam  Carruthers,  Gladys, 
Hannah,  and  Witch  Hazleton.  Witch's  bright, 
laughing  face  attracted  especial  attention  from 
the  good-looking,  rough  mountaineers,  but  these, 
better  bred  than  many  city  youths,  merely  ad- 
mired her  in  silence  and  without  broad  stares. 

The  girls  had  attired  themselves  in  plain 
frocks  and  white  aprons,  and  waited  on  their 

288 


LIBERTY    HALL 

guests  with  so  much  simplicity  and  attention 
that  the  latter  were  soon  put  at  their  ease.  The 
children  had  a  low  table  of  their  own,  on  one 
side  of  the  room,  made  of  a  double  row  of 
boards,  covered  with  a  white  cloth  and  deco- 
rated gaily  with  colored  candles  and  flowers. 
This  table  was  Dotty's  special  sphere  of  action. 
She  was  aided  by  Clarissa,  who — under  bonds 
not  to  giggle  or  otherwise  misconduct  herself — 
looked  so  preternaturally  solemn  that  the  moun- 
tain children  gazed  at  her  as  often  as  they  could 
withdraw  their  eyes  from  the  astounding  spec- 
tacles that  surrounded  them. 

There  were  sandwiches,  hot  bouillon,  mince- 
pies,  cake,  and  coffee  for  the  grown-up  table, 
with  plenty  of  fancy  crackers,  which  they  pulled 
with  as  much  naive  enjoyment  as  the  little 
children  did  their  own.  The  smaller  table  was 
amply  furnished  with  three-cornered  sand- 
wiches, delightful  small  cakes  in  fancy  shapes, 
fruit,  and  dishes  of  candy.  At  each  little  plate 
was  a  fine,  painted  mug  full  of  the  hard  candy 
John  had  donated,  besides  a  toy  and  a  little 
package  containing  some  useful  gift. 

The  mug  was  Miriam's  bright  idea.  "Why 
give  the  little  things  some  flimsy  tarleton  bag 
which  they'll  tear  to  pieces  in  no  time,  when  we 
could  as  well  give  them  a  bit  of  china  that  will 

289 


LIBERTY    HALL 

be  useful  for  ever  so  long?  I  bet  they'll  prize 
a  mug  more  than  anything.  I  reckon  some  of 
these  children  haven't  seen  anything  better  than 
a  gourd  to  drink  out  of." 

The  little  ones,  assured  that  the  bright  mugs 
were  to  be  their  own  property,  did  show  such 
rapture  that  Alberta  privately  hugged  Miriam 
in  the  pantry.  Nuts,  raisins,  and  cider  were  the 
finish  of  the  feast,  and  if  the  guests  were  accus- 
tomed to  anything  stronger  than  cider  they  did 
not  show  it  by  word  or  look.  They  pledged 
their  hostess,  themselves,  and  the  day — this  last 
at  Alberta's  shy  suggestion.  A  surprise  awaited 
them,  for,  as  they  arose  from  the  table,  they 
were  arrested  where  they  were  by  strains  of 
music.  The  Victrola  gave  them  an  air  that  Mrs. 
Dezevolos  had  sent  to  New  York  to  obtain  for 
the  occasion — an  exquisite  Christmas  anthem— 
and  all  at  once  a  dozen  fresh  young  voices,  in 
which  John  Gilpatrick's  heavy  bass  and  Dotty's 
wonderful,  bird-like  soprano  were  distinguish- 
able, rang  out  in  the  beautiful  words,  "While 
Shepherds  Watched  their  Flocks  by  Night." 
The  song  was  sung  with  a  fervor  that  aroused 
enthusiasm  in  these  children  of  Nature.  The 
men  were  moved  to  join  in  with  a  humming  ac- 
companiment, and  more  than  one  woman's  face 
wore  a  look  of  rapturous  wonder. 

290 


LIBERTY    HALL 

Martha  and  Miss  Dollery,  in  the  kitchen  to- 
gether, clasped  hands,  tears  running  down  their 
cheeks. 

"  Great  day  in  the  mornin'!"  Martha  ex- 
claimed, softly.  ' '  I  reckon  that's  maybe  the  fust 
word  o'  religion  some  o'  them  folks  heered  in 
their  lives,  honey!  Praise  Miss  Alberta  for 
it!" 

Alberta  was  nerving  herself  for  a  little  speech. 
Conscious  of  a  very  red  face  and  trembling 
knees,  she  advanced  to  the  door  and  stood  still. 
Her  guests  waited  politely. 

"We  want  you  all  to  make  yourselves  at 
home,"  said  the  girl,  who  had  prepared  a  short 
speech,  and  now  found  that  every  word  of  it 
had  slipped  away  from  her.  "This — this  is  just 
Liberty  Hall,  you  know,  and  there's  no  cer- 
emony. Please  try  to  have  a  good  time!  Now 
there's  going  to  be  music  to  dance  by,  and 
everybody  must  join  in  the  Virginia  reel." 

The  patriarch  among  them,  feeling  necessity 
upon  him,  arose  to  return  their  speech.  But  his 
glance  fell  upon  the  children,  huddled  in  a 
happy  bunch,  their  mouths  full  of  candy  and 
their  arms  full  of  presents,  and  he  cleared  his 
throat  before  a  word  would  come. 

"Hear,  hear!"  shouted  Tom  Mallony,  to  en- 
courage him.  The  old  fellow,  who  could  have 

291 


LIBERTY   HALL 

taken  Tom  up  and  tossed  him  over  a  six-foot 
fence  with  ease,  eyed  him  good-naturedly. 

"You  hain't  a-goin'  to  hear  much,  young 
man.  We-uns  air  all  too  full  for  speechifyin'. 
I'll  just  say,  then,  thanky  kindly,  missies  and 
gentlemen.  You  sure  know  how  to  treat  yo* 
company.  Mebbe  we'll  show  you-all  some  time 
that  we  know  how  to  treat  ourn,  when  you 
come  up  to  the  mountain!" 

A  slight  cheer  from  his  friends  and  a  hearty 
one  from  the  young  people  accompanied  a 
shuffling  of  feet  as  all  the  guests  made  their  way 
along  the  hall  to  the  great  room  where  the  floor 
had  been  oiled  for  dancing. 

A  real  orchestra,  three  darkies  with  fiddles  and 
a  bass  viol,  was  perched  on  chairs  set  on  a  table, 
at  one  end  of  the  room.  John  had  told  Alberta 
how  to  manage  this  part  of  her  entertainment. 
In  a  moment  everybody  fell  into  the  spirit  of 
the  occasion,  and  the  men  were  leading  frowsy 
matrons  and  shy  younger  women  forward  to 
their  places  in  the  sets.  The  young  hostesses 
mingled  with  their  guests,  and  Alberta  found 
herself  instructed  in  her  steps  by  a  mighty  youth 
with  yellow  hair  and  eyes  as  wild  and  bright  as 
a  squirrel's,  who  feared  her  so  much  that  he 
scarcely  spoke  to  her  during  the  set,  except  to 
say,  "Now,  miss,  forrard  and  back  agin!" 

292 


LIBERTY   HALL 

The  children  all  sat  on  the  floor  against  the 
wall  and  ate  candy.  Each  child  had  a  doll,  the 
gift  of  Mrs.  Beacham,  but  one  baby,  who  had 
not  been  thought  old  enough  for  one,  spent  his 
time  in  vainly  trying  to  wrest  away  his  sister's, 
until  Dotty  ran  to  her  room,  brought  forth  her 
precious  brass-faced  doll,  and  put  it  in  his 
arms.  It  was  not  done  without  a  twinge  of 
regret,  but  she  found  comfort  in  the  beatific 
happiness  of  that  baby. 

Dotty  had  so  much  to  rejoice  over  that  Christ- 
mas that  she  could  well  spare  an  older  joy  to 
fill  the  stocking  of  a  less-favored  child.  The 
most  wonderful  doll-house  in  the  world  had  been 
the  gift  of  John  Gilpatrick;  it  was  soundly  and 
perfectly  made  and  properly  divided  into  rooms, 
which  were  tastefully  and  completely  furnished 
from  parlor  to  kitchen.  It  even  had  a  stair- 
way and  a  porch.  Mrs.  Dezevolos  had  given 
her  a  little  locket  and  chain,  and  a  dainty  toilet 
set  of  ivory,  with  her  monogram  on  it.  Roy 
sent  her  a  box  of  bonbons — his  unvarying  gift 
to  each  girl  in  his  list  of  acquaintances. 

From  Miss  Dollery  Dotty  had  some  dainty 
aprons  and  a  lovely  pincushion,  and  every  girl 
in  the  house  had  also  remembered  her.  Old 
Martha  had  made  her  a  cake,  all  her  own,  with 
icing  on  it  an  inch  thick,  and  a  red  candle 

293 


LIBERTY    HALL 

fixed  on  top.  So  Dotty 's  cup  was  running  over 
with  happiness,  and  her  heart  was  even  more 
than  usually  generous  toward  these  children  of 
the  poor.  Every  minute  she  thought  of  some- 
thing more  to  do  for  them;  to  make  every  child  a 
flower- wreath,  to  help  them  pull  their  crackers, 
to  fold  the  papers  into  cocked  hats  and  bonnets 
and  put  them  on  the  little, unkempt  heads;  then 
to  bring  them  all  drinks  of  lemonade,  until  Miss 
Dollery  stopped  her,  with  a  remonstrance.  She 
would  have  given  the  two  babies  colic,  in  her  zeal ! 

The  party  broke  up  early,  for  the  guests  had 
far  to  go,  and  the  girls  stood  at  the  door  shaking 
hands  with  a  satisfied  and  grateful  company,  a 
couple  of  hours  after  the  supper  had  been  cleared 
away.  Each  guest  thanked  her  separately  for 
the  entertainment,  and  she  really  believed  that 
her  unusual  and  daring  experiment  had  been  a 
success. 

Tired  and  happy,  she  stood  in  the  brilliantly 
lit  room,  alone,  everybody  else  having  wandered 
to  the  front  porch  to  see  the  crowd  off.  But  she 
was  not  permitted  that  contemplative  solitude 
long.  A  firm  footstep  sounded  on  the  bare 
floor,  and  she  looked  up  to  see  John. 

"Congratulations!  It  went  off  awfully  well. 
They  all  had  the  time  of  their  lives." 

"I'm  going  to  do  it  again,  next  Christmas!" 
294 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"All  right.  I'll  help  out  with  my  best.  Say, 
Alberta,  you're  a  mighty  unselfish  girl.  It  isn't 
every  girl  that  would  find  pleasure  in  doing 
things  of  this  kind.  How  did  you  happen  to 
think  of  it?" 

"I  guess  I've  had  an  unusual  experience,  John. 
I've  nearly  always  'mothered'  myself,  as  my 
friends  out  West  say,  for  mother  died  when 
Dotty  was  a  mite.  I've  had  to  look  after  her, 
and  then  father  made  a  comrade  of  me.  I  trav- 
eled with  him  a  good  deal  and  learned  more  of 
the  world  than  girls  who  are  sheltered  at  home. 
When  we  came  here  and  aunt  tried  to  treat  me 
like  a  small  child,  it  did  gall  me.  I  suppose 
the  wish  to  have  more  freedom  grew  stronger 
and  stronger,  so  that  when  she  went  away  and 
left  me  the  house  it  broke  out  suddenly.  You 
have  no  idea  what  a  sense  of  joy  I  had !  Like  a 
colt  that  had  been  tied  up  and  then  untied! 
That's  why  I  named  the  house  Liberty  Hall. 
And  I  mean  it  to  live  up  to  its  name.  I  have 
ever  so  many  plans  and  ideas  for  doing  new 
and  maybe  absurd  things.  But  live  and  learn, 
as  Martha  says.  With  a  friend  like  Cousin 
Dollery  I  guess  there  isn't  much  danger  of 
getting  far  away  from  what's  right." 

"I  think  your  ideas  won't  be  far  from  the 
right  thing,  in  any  way,  Alberta." 

20  295 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Thank  you,  Jack."  The  girl's  tone  was  so 
soft  that  the  young  man  suddenly  got  nearer  to' 
her,  a  peculiar  expression  in  his  eyes. 

"My  great  idea  is  to  get  a  hospital  built 
here,  for  the  poor,"  explained  Alberta,  hurriedly. 
"Oh,  Jack,  if  only  that  could  be  done!" 

John  felt  that  he  would  like  to  build  a  dozen 
hospitals  for  her.  Then  and  there  he  resolved 
to  work  harder  and  earn  more  than  he  had 
earned  before,  although  John  was  getting  on 
rapidly  and  had  no  mean  income  for  a  man  so 
young. 

"It  isn't  a  passing  whim,  at  all,"  added  Al- 
berta, as  if  defending  her  suggestion  against 
criticisms  he  had  not  made.  "If  only  I  could 
do  some  big  thing,  like  that,  I'd  give  up  going 
to  college.  Somehow,  lately,  I'm  not  so  set 
on  that,  anyway.  Do  you  know,  this  life  down 
here,  with  all  its  sociability  and  its — its — I 
don't  know  how  to  say  it,  exactly,  but  some- 
how I  have  come  to  feel  that  there  are  mighty 
big  opportunities  for  everybody  to  help  one 
another  here.  People  seem  to  come  so  near 
together." 

John  was  going  to  say  something  rash.  He 
was  within  an  ace  of  doing  it,  despite  his  prom- 
ise to  Miss  Dollery,  when  the  crowd  burst  in 
on  them. 

296 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Hurry,  girls;  get  into  your  warmest  wraps," 
shouted  Roy,  waving  his  arms.  "We  fellows 
are  going  to  give  you  a  sleigh-ride!  Fine  night 
and  we  mustn't  waste  it.  The  sleighs  will  be  at 
the  door  in  a  jiffy.  Don't  waste  time  primping, 
please!" 

The  girls  looked  down  at  their  gowns  and 
aprons,  and  giggled  with  contempt  at  the  idea 
of  going  out  in  such  array.  But  they  ran  like 
squirrels  to  their  rooms  and  were  down  again 
almost  before  the  horses,  blanketed  and  belled, 
had  stamped  for  more  than  ten  minutes  before 
the  gate. 

Two  sleighs  were  there  and  there  was  room 
enough  for  everybody,  including  Dotty,  who 
looked  like  a  white  angel  in  her  new  fur  coat. 
Alberta's  Christmas  gift  from  Mrs.  Dezevolos 
had  been  a  handsome  fox  boa  and  muff — not  a 
girl  among  them  had  been  able  to  put  off  open- 
ing her  packages  till  the  next  day.  She  was  as 
warm  as  toast  and  charmingly  placed  between 
John  and  Tom,  where  she  enjoyed  herself  as 
only  a  girl  can  who  is  demurely  conscious  of 
being  the  object  of  assiduous  attention  from 
two  very  earnest  boys.  There  was  just  enough 
"chaff"  between  them  to  give  spice  to  her 
pleasure. 

Nothing  was  lacking:  smooth  roads,  white  and 
297 


LIBERTY    HALL 

frozen  hard;  an  obliging  moon  at  ten  o'clock, 
a  merry  crowd,  care -free  and  jolly,  and,  on 
their  return,  hot  negus  and  sandwiches,  pre- 
pared by  the  kind  hands  of  Miss  Dollery,  who 
seemed  never  to  tire  of  doing  something  to 
make  young  people  happy.  But  after  the  re- 
freshments had  been  despatched  and  Christmas 
anthems  sung  around  the  fire,  she  gently  hinted 
that  it  was  time  to  break  up  the  circle. 

Witch  got  up  and  wound  her  arms  around  the 
little  woman's  neck.  "Now  don't,  Miss  Dol- 
lery dear!  Remember  when  you  were  a  girl 
and  boy  yourself!  You  know  you  never  wanted 
to  go  to  bed,  did  you?  And  we  are  having  such 
a  jolly  time !  Never  was  such  a  place  for  having 
a  good  time  as  this  house  of  Alberta's.  And  to- 
morrow we'll  all  have  to  mind  our  '  P's  and  Q's ' 
for  at  least  two  hours,  at  the  school  play,  and 
maybe  at  church,  too." 

"  Half  an  hour  more  if  you'll  all  go  to  church," 
said  Miss  Dollery,  quickly,  with  a  twinkle  that 
made  Roy,  who  had  promised  himself  a  morning 
of  glorious  ease,  groan  aloud. 

"An  hour!  One  grand  round  of  stories,  then 
we'll  all  go  home.  Honor  bright,"  said  Roy, 
taking  out  his  watch  and  privately  putting  back 
the  hands  fifteen  minutes. 

John  grinned  at  him  sarcastically.  Few  things 

298 


LIBERTY    HALL 

escaped  the  keen  gray  eyes  of  John.  He  was 
happy,  because  Tom  and  Witch  had  fallen  to  a 
sparring-match  and  he  could  engage  all  Alberta's 
attention.  He  was  learning  how  to  interest  her 
and  please  her. 

"Please,  no  ghost  stories,"  entreated  Han- 
nah, who  had  nerves.  So  they  told  legends  and 
tales,  leaving  out  gruesome  elements,  and  going 
the  rounds  till  it  was  Gladys's  turn  to  weave. 

"Quite  a  pretty  little  tale,  Glad,"  commented 
her  brother  in  the  kindly,  patronizing  tone  of  big 
brothers.  "Didn't  know  you  had  that  in  you!" 

"You'll  be  surprised  some  time,"  whispered 
Alberta  to  him,  with  a  very  kind  glance  toward 
the  blond  head  that  had  turned  away  in  pre- 
tended pettishness  at  this  cautious  admiration. 

"  Your  surprise  will  be  at  your  door  to- 
morrow morning." 

"What  have  you  been  doing?" 

"Didn't  you  say  you  liked  Saint  Bernard 
dogs?" 

"Adore  them!" 

"Wait  till  to-morrow,  then,"  and  John  nodded 
mysteriously. 

He  managed  to  be  the  last  one  out.  The 
others  had  tramped  ahead  and  left  him  wishing 
the  young  hostess  a  Merry  Christmas  on  the 

porch. 

299 


LIBERTY    HALL 

"Alberta?" 

"Well." 

"Some  day  I'm  going  to  ask  you  for  a  present. 
I  wonder  whether  I'll  get  it?" 

The  girl's  fresh,  sweet  face  looked  up  archly. 
"Maybe — Jack!"  she  answered,  and  went  in, 
smiling  softly  over  her  first  Christmas  Eve  at 
Liberty  Hall. 


THE   END 


A    000128486     8 


